Last June 5th, the First Progress Meeting of the BLUENET Project was celebrated at GAIKER facilities. During the meeting, relevant advances on the management and collection schemes of marine wastes were discussed, and agreements obtained with Biscay and Gipuzkoa Port Authorities and Fishing Associations were also presented. The design of questionnaire for the quantification of potential wastes produced by European Aquaculture sector was also reviewed among the participants.
On the other hand, as upcycling of the collected plastic wastes into new textiles products is also one of the goals of the BLUENET project, initial results on the recycling activities of specifically collected aquaculture and marine wastes were presented. A lab scale recycling system was detailed in order to maximise the valorisation of the target materials (Polyamide and Polyolefins) and to select, the most efficient waste streams to achieve project goals. As part of the technical evaluation of the range of recycled pellets obtained, results on rheological properties and initial samples of textile monofilaments from different waste streams were also presented.
