The estimated total amount of plastic accumulated in the Mediterranean Sea is approximately 1,178,000 tonnes, with a potential range of 53,500 to 3,546,700 tonnes. However, there is considerable uncertainty in this estimate due to the limited focus of previous research, which primarily examined plastic at the sea surface, accounting for less than 0.1% of the overall stock.

The primary objective of this report is to address three key questions:

• How much plastic is currently present in the Mediterranean Sea?
• What is the annual rate of plastic leakage into the Mediterranean Sea?
• What are the most effective strategies to reduce plastic leakage in the Mediterranean region over the next 20 years?