Funded under the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Programme, the MAELSTROM project aims to develop sustainable solutions for the removal and treatment of marine litter, contributing to the achievement of goal 14 of Agenda 2030 (” Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development “).
Started in January 2021 and ending in December 2024, the project is based on a multidisciplinary approach that considers the different aspects related to the problem of marine litter and its impact on the environment, from location to removal and recycling, with a view to environmental sustainability.
After a careful environmental assessment, waste accumulation areas will be identified and at the same time technologies will be designed and implemented that can locate and remove all types of waste, and in particular plastic. These technologies will aim on the one hand to intercept the waste before it reaches the sea, and on the other hand to remove the accumulations already present on the bottom thanks to two different automated systems. The first is a bubble barrier, i.e., a barrier of air bubbles, partly powered by solar panels, generated by a system laid on the riverbed or installed in strategic locations in lagoons and port areas, which will allow the recovery of waste in the water column. The second is a large robotic platform capable of removing, with high efficiency, solid waste located on the bottom and in the lower layers of the water column. The project will also evaluate the sustainability and impact of these technologies on the marine environment.
In addition to identifying and removing waste, MAELSTROM aims to recycle it, in accordance with the European Strategy on Plastics in the Circular Economy , by combining innovative processes and technologies based on physical-chemical treatment approaches. The waste will thus be converted into chemical precursors, polymers and materials that can re-enter the industrial supply chain. Finally, a prototype based on low-temperature pyrolysis capable of producing second-generation fuel will also be used, which in turn will be used to power technologies dedicated to seabed cleaning within the project itself.
MAELSTROM’s objectives are pursued in a collaborative effort, through coordination and sharing of best practices and tools of Blue Technology in a network with other projects dedicated to sustainable waste collection and management along European coastal areas. MAELSTROM will give maximum attention to the involvement and awareness of citizens on the issue of waste at sea and the role of each individual in reducing waste and its sustainable management. With this in mind, in addition to information campaigns and events, the project will involve volunteers in participatory coastal clean-up events. During these events, participants will be able to contribute to the census of waste distribution thanks to a special App created as part of the project.
CIMA Foundation will be mainly engaged in raising awareness of MAELSTROM issues at the European level, building on its experience in the theme of civil society involvement in the dissemination of good risk mitigation practices. In particular, it will help to show how the proactive behavior of the public, particularly with regard to waste management, is an important support for technical and scientific results that aim at their reduction at sea. In this way, the project will be able to highlight how science and behavior must go hand in hand for effective environmental protection and, consequently, to safeguard the communities that inhabit it.
