A mantra for treatment of plastic in our oceans
Plastic litter enters our seas primarily from rivers and ends up in marine ecosystems. If consumed it can choke marine creatures, rip through their guts or block the passage of food, causing them to starve. Breakdown of a variety of plastic sources, from large plastic pieces that have broken down to plastic beads used in health products, yields insidious particles known as microplastics. Permeating through to the top of the food web where animals and humans, at the top of the chain, are exposed, they are causing a newly identified disease – plasticosis. Because of their small size, microplastics are easily ingested by marine life, producing a series of toxic effects such as inhibition of growth and development, and adverse impacts on feeding, behaviour and reproduction and even genetic damage.
How to stem the mounting wave of marine plastic
Sustainable recovery of plastic from oceans is complex and expensive. Long-term remediation requires the concerted, multidisciplinary research efforts of the 14-strong team of MAELSTROM partners. Centres of excellence in marine life, AI and robotics, recycling companies and plastics research experts are all key players in the consortium. So are a marketing consultancy company to help sell the recycled products and all media outlets for spreading the latest word on social awareness about the marine litter issue. MAELSTROM has identified Europe’s marine litter so-called accumulation hotspots as the Ave River, Portugal, and the Venice coastal area, Italy. Characteristics of the waste, whether it sinks, and the winds and currents all determine where it will be deposited – as well as the best possible remediation plan.
Bubbles and robots
A bubble barrier in the Ave River prevents the plastic from entering the ocean. Developed by Dutch partner The Great Bubble Barrier®,– the cunning design allows the passage of fish and traffic while directing the waste with a ‘bubble curtain’ to a catchment system at the riverbank. For the Venice Lagoon, a robotic seabed cleaning platform has been developed by partners Tecnalia Research and Innovation and Servizi Tecnici. The truly AI system identifies the waste and picks each item off to minimise impact on ecosystems. It has a sucker for small litter and a gripper for larger material. Some of the material collected in Venice was subjected to low-temperature pyrolysis to produce second-generation marine fuel. This is yet another example of the circular nature of the system as the fuel powers the project’s marine litter removal technologies.
And after removal...
An AI-driven sorting robot separates the litter that is subject to the most advanced recycling processes. Now able to re-enter the industrial supply chain, the regenerated materials include chemical precursors and polymers. A fine example of the circular economy, shredded fishing net was transformed into panels and laminates. To determine the efficiency of removal technologies and estimate the long-term effects on ecosystems, MAELSTROM will continue to perform surveys of the sites. From collection to integration into other recycled products, the MAELSTROM Traceability App tracks its progress and provides a certificate of ‘MarineLitterOrigin’. Social awareness has to be the key issue behind stemming the tide of the marine litter problem. Advertised by social media channels, MAELSTROM actively engages citizens in beach and canal clean-ups. The project participated in the ‘World’s Biggest Butt Pick Up’ when challenged with collecting 1 million cigarette butts. All the MAELSTROM technologies developed so far will make the TRL6 grade and collection of marine litter is efficient and has minimal impact on the environment. The project clock stops ticking at the end of December 2024 and MAELSTROM has already taken the first real step towards a zero-plastic waste policy.
Keywords
MAELSTROM, plastic, marine litter, ocean, AI, robotic, recycle