Development of new by-products and raw materials from marine litter and algae

Following the principles of circular and blue economy, the Azores EcoBlue project collected 31.3 tons of marine anthropogenic litter and surplus materials from the sea and fishing sector, of which transformed 15.6 tons into textile yarn and thread used in construction. Only through the integration of innovative approaches it was possible to develop new by-products and raw materials, including novel fibers for thermal insulation, from the collected marine waste. In addition to plastic pollution, the Azores EcoBlue project also addressed macroalgae, with the invasive algae Rugulopteryx okamurae being the most recovered during the project. All project results can be accessed at https://ecobluegroup.com/azores-ecoblue/. The AIR Centre contributed to the project with existing state-of-the-art methodologies for the detection of macroplastics using Earth Observation satellites with a focus on studying the eventual presence of marine litter and macroalgae patches in the order of meters around the archipelago of the Azores. It was found that, although detection with current satellite technologies presents limitations in terms of spatial resolution and cloud cover, it is still possible to detect some suspected cases of agglomerated material in the Azores, which can help identify accumulation hot spots (see below figure). The Azores EcoBlue project, that held its final meeting at the end of April 2024, at Nonagon – Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia de São Miguel, has actively contributed to the sustainability of the marine ecosystem in the Azores and the archipelago economy, by transforming marine waste into new raw materials, strongly promoting the circular economy. The project consortium was led by Circular Blue Group and included the University of Minho, University of the Azores through Okeanos, TERINOV, Visual Thinking, AIR Centre (Atlantic International Research Centre) and AEP (Associação Empresarial de Portugal). Project financed by: EEA Grants Portugal Program operator: DGPM