Outputs and Results
Circular Ocean project has been referenced in:
The European Commission’s report on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/implementation_report.pdf
European Commision’s “COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS: A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy” http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/pdf/plastics-strategy.pdf
“A European Strategy for Plastics in A Circular Economy” ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/pdf/plastics-strategy-brochure.pdf “Pathways to a circular economy in cities and regions: A Policy brief addressed to policy makers from European cities and regions” https://www.interregeurope.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Policy_brief_on_Circular_economy.pdf
“A Review of the European Union’s Circular Economy Policy”: http://www.r2piproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/A-Rview-of-the-European-Unions-Circular-Economy-Policy.pdf
The Circular Ocean project has developed several unique and cutting edge products and services:
Piloting
Circular Ocean promotes the "green economy" by finding solutions to re-use waste, driving eco-innovation, generating efficient and environmentally responsible businesses, and diminishing levels of marine litter.
To do this, the project is pilot-testing several new uses for old fishing nets and ropes such as reinforcing concrete or other building materials such as brick tiles and roof insulation. The project is also experimenting with using fishing nets as a material to remove pollutants from water, and an assessment of the feasibility of 3D printing using waste fishing nets.
More information can be found here: http://www.circularocean.eu/research/
Eco-innovation training and guidance
By directly working with SMEs a range of training and guidance sessions will provide crucial advice necessary for the development and retention of jobs within the sector.
Through the following activities and outputs the project has sought to highlight the prospective economic opportunities of establishing a product or business utilising waste nets, while promoting the concept of circular economy and eco-innovation:
Feasibility studies on technical eco-innovation capacity per region
Eco-innovation training material
Delivery of eco-innovation workshops
Open eco-innovation/circular economy innovation competition http://www.circularocean.eu/competitions/
Eco-innovation toolkit
Webinars
Remote research, consultancy and coaching support
For information please visit http://www.circularocean.eu
Transnational green economy knowledge exchange programme
Using the expertise and innovative solutions of the project a series of workshops will be delivered across the NPA area areas to maximise knowledge exchange with business and further broaden the scope of project and green economy opportunities. These events have included:
Reykjavik on July 17th & 18th for the Circular Ocean “Innovation Conference”. Circular Ocean’s second #NetHack Challenge, an innovation workshop designed to develop solutions to a series of challenges surrounding management of Fishing Nets & Rope (FNR’s).
The Circular Ocean #ChemHack Challenge took place as part of the 17th European Meeting on Environmental Chemistry (EMEC17) on 29th November 2016, organised by the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), North Highland College, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The aim of the #ChemHack Challenge was to develop innovative solutions to ‘end of life’ problems associated with contaminated fishing nets and ropes (FNRs), specifically: Washing processes to remove anti-foulants and other chemical compounds impregnated into nylon fishing nets and ropes (FNRs) and cages. Processes to decontaminate the waste water arising from the washing process. Processes to extract copper compounds from FNRs and cages for metals recycling Read the full report here: http://www.circularocean.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/CircularOcean_ChemHack_FINAL.pdf
The Circular Ocean project held a conference and public event in Ålesund, Norway on April 18th & 19th 2018. The two day conference encompassed topics surrounding the use of waste fishing net materials in creating new business opportunities and practices for better management of marine plastics.
On Sunday July 16 and Monday July 17, 2017, the EU Policy Lab joined the partners of the Circular Ocean project in Reykjavik to prepare and run a scenario exploration session on the issue of reusing and recycling waste fishing nets and ropes. https://blogs.ec.europa.eu/eupolicylab/scenario-exploration-for-the-circular-ocean-project/