00:00 Fishermen in the Gulf of Naples preparing to go out for the daily catch.
00:04 These white polystyrene boxes on board will soon be a thing of the past.
00:08 Two municipalities in the area have joined forces in the fight against plastic pollution.
00:13 Thanks to European funds, thousands of reusable plastic fishing crates are being purchased
00:18 to replace their polystyrene counterparts.
00:20 The multi-purpose brittle material is one of the main causes of microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea.
00:26 I think this box will be the future. I see it as a positive thing for the environment and society.
00:37 Unlike the old polystyrene crates, the new carriers can be washed and disinfected.
00:42 These fishermen from the village of Pozzuoli are ready for the change.
00:46 The new plastic boxes will be washed with microchips and will be always clean.
00:51 They will not be thrown into the environment.
00:53 There is a little more work, but I think it's better.
00:56 I think the future is better with this one. Maybe we can protect the environment.
01:00 The fishermen of Pozzuoli show that it is possible to combine the attention to work with the respect for the environment.
01:07 A small change can mean a lot for the health of the sea in which they work.
01:11 All actions that can be in the field from an environmental point of view,
01:16 they are on the side of the administration and naturally they also take this thing positively.
01:21 Because improving the environment means improving the activity.
01:24 Plastic accounts for 95% of floating litter in the Mediterranean Sea and more than 50% on the seabed.
01:33 The United Nations Environment Program says 730 tons of plastic end up in the Mediterranean every day.
01:40 www.plastic-free-maryland.com
01:44 (whooshing)
