For generations, the Caspian Sea has been part of the lives of the communities along its shores. It sustains livelihoods, supports rich ecosystems and provides a home for wildlife above and beneath its waters. It is also a place where millions come to rest, explore and make memories.

But the way we enjoy the Caspian also leaves a footprint.

Plastic bottles, bags, food packaging and other waste left behind do not simply disappear when visitors go home. They can enter rivers and waterways, reach the sea and remain in the environment for years, becoming part of the habitat in which fish, birds and other species must live.

The challenge is particularly relevant along Iran’s northern coast. Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan are home to densely populated communities and some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, placing additional pressure on local waste-management systems.

Addressing this challenge requires more than cleaning up waste once it reaches the shoreline. It means preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place — while finding ways to keep valuable materials in use for longer.

Through the regional project “Addressing Marine Litter and Marine Plastics – A Systemic Approach in the Caspian Sea,” UNDP is supporting efforts across the Caspian region to prevent and reduce marine litter, with a particular focus on plastics. The project brings together better data and monitoring, stronger waste-management policies, circular-economy solutions, investment, community engagement and public awareness.

In Iran, this means exploring practical solutions that can strengthen the way plastic waste is collected, recovered and reused.

As one such step, UNDP has assessed the feasibility of establishing a mechanical plastic recycling plant in Behshahr, Mazandaran Province. The proposed facility would recover recyclable plastics that might otherwise be landfilled, burned or leak into the environment, and transform them into secondary raw materials and new products.

The proposed system also incorporates a closed-loop water treatment process designed to reduce freshwater consumption and minimize wastewater discharge. Beyond its environmental benefits, the facility could support local manufacturing, generate employment and help create economic value from materials that would otherwise become pollution.

It is a practical example of what the circular economy can mean at the local level: moving away from a system in which materials are used and discarded, towards one in which they are recovered, reused and returned to productive use.

But infrastructure alone cannot solve the problem.

The feasibility study highlights that the long-term success of recycling also depends on reliable waste collection, better separation of recyclable materials at source, cooperation among municipalities, businesses and environmental authorities, and greater public awareness.

That is why protecting the Caspian requires action at different levels — from better infrastructure and stronger waste-management systems to the everyday decisions made by the millions of people who live beside or visit its shores.

Caspian Sea Day is an opportunity to remember that everyone has a role to play.

• Take back what you bring to the sea.
• Avoid single-use plastics where possible.
• Put waste where it belongs and separate recyclable materials when facilities are available.
• Carry a reusable bottle or bag.
• If you see litter on the shore, pick it up safely.

One action may seem small. But thousands of small actions, supported by stronger systems and collective commitment, can help change the Caspian’s future.

Come to its shores. Watch its sunsets. Make memories beside it. But when you leave, leave only your footprints.

Protect the Caspian — because its future is part of ours.