The NETWAP project has produced a set of guidelines for national and local governments to manage biowaste and deal with plastic marine litter on beaches, with an emphasis on the local/community dimension.

Biowaste management: this approach promotes public participation, encouraging people to see waste as a valuable resource to be exploited for the good of the community.

In the two areas selected for the pilot project (Ist island in Zadar county (HR) and Fossalto village in Campobasso province (IT)), a local composting scheme was set up. Each local administration directly managed a small-scale composter, thus avoiding regular trips to an industrial disposal plant with the subsequent high costs and significant environmental impact. 

Both administrations were informed about the financial and environmental benefits for households and associations of citizens and tourism businesses. The information they were given comprised the following:

1. a composting registration model for home and community users,
2. regulations on home, community and local composting,
3. a guide to composting.

Plastic waste management: a method for using plastic from marine and beach litter was established. Volunteers from environmental associations and local waste management operators were given criteria for recognising and separating recyclable plastic products. Appropriate washing procedures were also outlined so as to ready the selected plastics for recycling. Using this method, plastics from marine and beach litter are assigned a European waste catalogue number for recyclable plastics, meaning that they are not sent to a landfill or incineration plant.