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Why not reusing mussels waste materials to create something new for home décor?

The new program of the Sardinian foundation MEDSEA, no profit Organization Sardinia-based, together with Nieddittas, a leading company that manages the entire mussel farming chain in the Gulf of Oristano, makes this possible. The initiative was born within the “Blue Eco Lab” that the MEDSEA Foundation carries out in the Sardinian territory to design specific solutions for the recycling of waste at sea with the purpose to give new life to materials. Through the collaboration between the MEDSEA foundation and Nieddittas, the laboratory will explore the potential of the reconversion of waste materials from mussel farming activities.

Two are the main phases of the project. The first one will be dedicated to research and testing and the second one to eco-design and production. In the first phase the waste materials will be studied for the creation of new components and small items to evaluate their replicability and scaling. After the researching phase, new products will be created and evaluated for a possible launch on the market and scalability. At the moment, urban furniture solutions such as benches and street furniture, interior design and home decor such as chairs, armchairs, ceiling lights and vases are being studied.

“Among the materials taken into consideration, - explains Alessio Satta, president of the MEDSEA Foundation - we will give priority to mussel farming waste potentially impacting marine-coastal ecosystems. The same materials will then be studied to understand their characteristics (eg their mechanical properties) in order to create new products such as outdoor furniture. "

"We have decided to promote this circular economy project by virtue of the constant attention we have in protecting and safeguarding the environment in which we work - says Caterina Murgia, CEO of Nieddittas -. We always work to be a reference in the sector also in relation to environmental sustainability policies. Reusing the waste from our manufacturing will not only improve the sustainability of our supply chain by making it less pollutant, but it can also provide advantages and benefits in terms of waste disposal."

The project is coordinated by the product designer Lorenzo Finotto from Arborea, Oristano, expert in plastic recycling and eco design.