Creating raw materials from marine litter

The exploration of ecodesign concepts and the circular and blue economy to develop innovative products, using marine litter as raw material, was on the table of the “International Conference by Azores EcoBlue”, held at AEP on 7 December.

The year 2023 will be particularly relevant for the Azores EcoBlue project, funded by EEA Grants and the Directorate-General for Maritime Policy, of which AEP is one of the partners. Azores EcoBlue aims to use and develop innovative raw materials, transforming marine waste from Azorean fishing activity into diverse products. Yarns and fibres that can be used in fabrics and blankets by the textile sector, for example. Or new coatings and mortars for civil construction, which are even giving rise to a pilot model of an ecocabana, which will be parameterised in order to be replicated anywhere in the world. The aim is to promote value-added products to a niche of consumers who value and consciously buy eco-design products.

As the president of AEP, Luís Miguel Ribeiro, explained at the opening of the conference, Azores EcoBlue “promotes the circular economy and contributes to sustainability and will seek the resource that Portugal has taken advantage of very badly, which is the sea”. “We are going to get what harms the sea (rubbish, waste) to transform them and be reused in the textile industry”, he said, adding that “this project should be a flag, as an example of what the country and the world can do, turning what is a problem into a great opportunity”.