The Blue Eco Lab, the design laboratory that, according to the principles of the circular economy, recovers waste from the Nieddittas company's fish production in the Gulf of Oristano comes to life. In the creation of street furnishings for urban decoration.
The activities of the Blue Eco Lab were promoted by Nieddittas, a company that manages the entire mussel farming supply chain in the Gulf of Oristano, coordinated by the MEDSEA Foundation for the protection and conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems, in collaboration with the Department of Civil, Environmental and Territorial Engineering of the University of Cagliari. The main goal of the project is to give a new life to the waste materials of mussel farming through the design of eco-design solutions designed and built in Sardinia.
“From the first exchange of ideas with Nieddittas management, we decided that this project should be different from the others. - explains Alessio Satta of the MEDSEA Foundation - A project conceived and implemented in Sardinia in every smallest component: the waste material of mussel farming, its transformation into secondary raw material, the machinery for the extrusion of plastics and recycled and above all the know-how of young Sardinian talents ".
The waste material from the Nieddittas company's mussel production was transformed into secondary raw material by the Ecoplastar Group company located in the province of Cagliari. The machinery for the extrusion of this particular type of plastics exposed to marine degradation conditions was instead built at the Meccanica Turchi company in Gallura.
After a first phase of calibration and adaptation of the extruder to the new materials, the designers of MEDSEA and the technicians of the University of Cagliari have begun to transform the plastic waste, waste from the Nieddittas company, into recycled plastic profiles of different sizes.
The profiles, made of polypropylene, are simple elements but of great structural versatility, which can be used for the production of various types of products; in this first project phase their use is aimed at the production of street furniture elements.
“The first tests have returned satisfactory results, with an average value of compressive strength equal to 80Mpa and tensile strength equal to 7Mpa. - says Professor Mauro Coni, coordinator of the “Roads, Railways and Airports” group of the Department of Civil, Environment and Territory Engineering and scientific manager of the experimentation activities - These are preliminary tests; It will now be necessary to study the behavior of the elements on the basis of combinations such as extrusion temperature, impurities in the plastics, time speed and holding time of the material during the production process. All the conditions are met, and we are confident that it will be possible to further improve the characteristics of these elements and a second series of tests is confirming our hypothesis”.
"Of the 35.6 million tons of plastic introduced into the waste recovery process, in 2021 - explains Paola Riviezzo, architect and chief designer of the MEDSEA Blue Lab - Europe has reached an overall recycling rate of 23.1 %. The world produces double the amount of plastic waste compared to two decades ago, most of which ends up in landfills, incinerated or dispersed in the environment, and only 9% is successfully recycled. In this scenario, circular economy, upcycling and eco-design are examples of concepts that are having more and more success not only in the design field but also in the industrial one ".
"Our initiative, unique of its kind, is part of a global context in full swing and we have decided to promote it to affirm once again the values that distinguish our company, which has always been attentive to innovation and sustainability. - explains Caterina Murgia, CEO of Nieddittas - Values that are added to those of enhancement and protection of our territory, since for the first time a project of this magnitude and importance is carried out entirely in Sardinia, with the collaboration of Sardinian realities and with a great effort to promote the 0 km circular economy. Our hope is to become an example in this direction for many other realities ".
Latest news
REST COAST, at the annual meeting in Groningen, demonstrates the effectiveness of natural restoration of aquatic systems
The standstill of the Nature Restoration Law, the European law on nature restoration, stalled in its final approval phase in the Council due to the hesitations of some Member States, has…
TransformAr makes a stop in Finland for the sixth Consortium Meeting
In mid-April, the sixth Consortium meeting of the H2020 TransformAr Project was held in Lappeenranta, recognized as the Climate Capital of Finland. This city truly exemplifies sustainability, with 100% of waste recycled and all…
Launch of the PLASTRON Project in Genoa: A Cross-Border Initiative for the marin Plastic & Paper Recycling
The PLASTRON project is about to start. With the goal of improving the sustainability of local communities by providing knowledge and tools for collecting and transforming plastic from the coast…
Wetland4Change to Address Climate Change with Wetlands, Kickoff in Sofia
Last week, hosted by the University of Forestry in Sofia, the kickoff of "Wetland4Change" took place, marking the start of an ambitious Interreg Euro-MED project within the Natural Heritage Mission aimed at…
The Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area towards a New Zoning with Blue4All
A new co-management model to reorganise marine protected areas, benefiting from all the tools and knowledge provided by the Blue4All project will be soon implemented in Sardinia. Later last month, preliminary meetings…
TransformAr, Adaptation Pathways to Climate Change for Fishing Validated, All Set for Sensor Installation
TransformAr enters its most operational phase at the pilot site in Oristano where, in March, the MEDSEA team met with the Municipality of Terralba and the fishermen of the San Giovanni Lagoon from the Marceddì Consortium to…
Revitalizing the Mediterranean: ARTEMIS Project Unites Environment and Innovation
March marked the launch of "Artemis", a project of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme that seeks to combine the ecological benefits of seagrass with innovative financial strategies, such as Payment for Ecosystem…
Petit Noirs: From Senegal to Arborea to Combat Illegal Immigration with Mussel Farming
Sustainable mussel farming in Arborea becomes an international example with a project linking Dakar, Senegal, with Sardinia, aiming to combat illegal immigration and generate economic opportunities.
The Charm of Wetlands in Sardinia: Over a Thousand Visitors in the World Wetlands Day Event Calendar in Sardinia"
With over 30 events, from January 27 to March 10, 2024, the MEDSEA World Wetlands Day in Sardinia comes to a close. The initiative, which falls in the month when wetlands are…
First Meeting of the DesirMED Project in Venice: A Step Forward in Climate Adaptation in the Mediterranean
Last month, the historic city of Venice hosted the first meeting of DesirMED, a project funded by the HORIZON Europe program aimed at addressing one of the most pressing challenges of…
Sails Towards the Future: The UniCa Sailing Team and the Challenge of Eco-Sustainable Boats in Sardinia
In Sardinia, circular and low-impact solutions for water sports and sailing are being studied. The University of Cagliari, together with the UniCa Sailing Team, is working on the construction of an…
The first General Assembly kicked off in Lecce: for a more resilient MPAs network
The first General Assembly of the "Blue 4 All" project took place in Lecce from January 23 to 26, 2024. The event, hosted by the CMCC Climate - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate…
It's Time to Celebrate Wetlands: join World Wetlands Day Sardegna 2024
In Sardinia, February is the month of wetlands! We celebrate World Wetlands Day on the occasion of February 2nd, which marks the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of the RAMSAR Convention for…
TransformAR Reaches Halfway: The Progress in the San Giovanni Lagoon
TransformAR, at the pilot site of Marceddì-San Giovanni (Terralba) in Sardinia, one of the six demonstration sites of the project, is gaining momentum. The project, which develops transformative adaptation solutions to climate change…
MEDSEA reforestation phase in Sennariolo for the "Hope for Sennariolo" campaign has officially begun
As announced last summer, the MEDSEA reforestation phase in Sennariolo, Sardinia, for the "Hope for Sennariolo" campaign has officially begun. The small village of Montiferru in Sardinia, in July 2021, following a major fire…
We're gearing up for the month of ponds in Sardinia with #WWDSardegna: registrations open until January 21th!
At MEDSEA, we're gearing up as we do every year for the month dedicated to ponds and lagoons: February. World Wetlands Day, or the Global Day of Wetlands, is celebrated annually…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4