Reinventing Circularity through upcycling oceanic litter into building materials

Abstract

Fishing and maritime waste is a major problem for coastal regions, as it results in a huge quantity of marine debris, posing a threat to the ecosystems and their inhabitants. The Azores Ecoblue research project is a consortium working towards addressing this issue by conducting a comprehensive study to identify, collect, measure and evaluate the reuse of the oceanic waste present in the Terceira and surrounding coastal areas. The objective of this project is to work with the immediate actors and stakeholders to explore the possibility of creating a source of revenue for the region from these upcycled and recycled raw materials. The project aims to identify the difficulties associated with the materials and propose solutions to promote the reuse or recycling of marine waste. By focusing on waste collection, especially those with sustainable potential and relevance in the social and economic context of the region, the initiative aims to identify and characterize waste that can be used in the building sector. As a result of this research, the team has developed construction systems composed of discarded maritime containers, transport palettes, bottles, mooring and fishing lines. These materials were included in demonstrative prototypes that aim to raise awareness and responsibility towards ocean litter and incentivize the communities directly affected. In this paper, the research team has proposed innovative solutions to mitigate the marine waste problem arising from fishing activities across the islands of Faial, São Miguel, and Terceira. The solution involves the development of small cabin prototypes and test cells as secondary supporting spaces that embody circularity, use marine waste as building materials, and promote traditional architecture. The proposed solutions address the recycling of discarded mooring lines from freight forwarders and fishing vessels, reuse of discarded maritime containers and transport pallets. Significant efforts are underway to establish waste collection centres and to further connect them to appropriate treatment facilities. As a result, through these solutions a total of 6.5 metric tonnes of waste can be utilised in the building sector. These solutions have the potential to benefit not just the Azores region but also other coastal communities facing similar challenges.