marGnet Project: Marine plastic collected by fishermen becomes fuel for their boats.

A project that brings together the CNR (National Research Council), an NGO that protects the Adriatic, and two Italian companies. Fifty kilos of plastic transformed into fifty liters of fuel.

di |
margnet project

Seawater is full of waste, especially plastic. Eight million tons It arrives every year, adding to that already accumulated and whose outlet we know nothing about. Unless we imagine that 90 percent of this waste is stuck at the bottom of the sea, awaiting slow decomposition: in the meantime, we find it in the bellies of fish and, subsequently, on our tables and in the food chain generally.

MARGNET PROJECT

What can be done in the face of this devastating situation? One possible path forward is to transform waste and refuse into a resource. Making the most of technology and involving the entire marine supply chain, starting with the fishermen. Just think: half of what remains in fishermen's nets today is waste, and even in this case, mainly plastic bagsIf it is brought to land, it must be disposed of at the cost of the fishermen. Otherwise, it returns to the sea, where the fishermen throw it away after having collected it in their nets. project marGnet It brings together various stakeholders and, in a circular economy context, transforms marine waste into fuel. Always to the benefit of fishermen.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date. Click here!

WHO PARTICIPATES IN THE MARGNET PROJECT

The marGnet project brings together four entities, starting with the Institute of Marine Sciences (Ismar) of the National Research Council (CNR), Venice headquarters, which serves as coordinator. Thanks to its years of experience, Ismar has the technical and scientific expertise to ensure the quality of the project's development. Alongside the CNR, the marGnet Consortium includes the Blu World Institute (BWI), an NGO working specifically in the Adriatic Sea to monitor and conserve large marine vertebrate species; the Laguna Project company, which contributes its expertise in environmental monitoring of lagoon systems; and Sintol, a company specializing in plastic waste recycling.

ALSO READ: Plastic accounts for 80 percent of marine waste. Let's learn how to recycle mineral water bottles.

HOW THE MARGNET PROJECT WORKS

The project had two phases. During the first, a vast area was covered, including the Venice lagoon e the Cres archipelago e Losinj in Croatia, was carefully monitored to identify the areas with the highest concentrations of marine debris, where it accumulates, and where it is easiest to recover, also based on ocean currents. At this point, phase two began: the recovery of plastic and waste. explains physicist Fantina Madricardo, director of the marGnet project.

RESULTS OF THE MARGNET PROJECT

The project's results are currently very promising. Thanks to the Sintol company, small pyrolysis plants have been created. In practice, they allow plastic to be heated in airless containers, producing a gas that can be used to make diesel fuel, gasoline, or even raw materials for industry. And this is where the fishermen come in. The prototype created by Sintol allows 100 kilograms of marine waste to be converted into 50 liters of gasoline or diesel fuel. Without adding any pollutants. At this point, fishermen would be encouraged to deliver the marine waste caught in their nets to the fishing ports where Sintol pyrolysis plants are installed. waste becomes a resource, with a benefit also for fishing activities, and the water of the Adriatic Sea is cleaner.

The image is taken from the Facebook page . dedicated to the marGnet project

The marGnet project is a candidate for the 2021 Non Sprecare Award, in the "Institutions" section. To submit your projects, follow the instructions provided. here.

PROJECTS TO SAVE SEAS AND OCEANS FROM PLASTIC:

Want to see a selection of our news?

Don't Waste