"Look, you can see all the microplastics," she says, pointing at a mass of coloured dots bobbing on the waves. Like many islands in Greece's Cycladic region, waste production on the island of Paros explodes in summer when over 400,000 tourists join a local population of just 13,000.
Paros is now at the centre of a drive to turn itself into the world's first island that is truly free of plastic waste. It looks like quite a challenge. In high season, the white-and-blue painted cafes that line the picturesque streets get through 1,000 plastic takeaway cups a day. Thousands of plastic bottles of water are shipped in daily, because many believe the tap water is undrinkable, although the water company insists that is wrong.
"You are really exposed to the reality of the situation when you live by the sea," says campaigner Zana Kontamanoli. The Greek waste management system suffered heavy cuts during the country's financial crisis, meaning recycling is often not separated and many landfill sites are not up to EU standards.
