Acronym LIFE MUSCLES
Category
Aquaculture
Title Life MUssel Sustainable production (re)cyCLES Programme LIFE
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source European Coordinator Fabrizio Soddu Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
NA
Institutions involved
AMA - Associazione Mediterranea Acquacoltori (Italy) ,
SAI D.G. - Ittica del Giudice Società Agricola Srl (Italy) ,
NA - Novamont SpA (Italy) ,
NA - ROM Plastica Srl (Italy) ,
Sapienza - Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) ,
C.M.A. - Società Cooperativa Mitilicoltori Associati Srl (Italy) ,
UNIBO - University of Bologna (Italy) ,
UNISI - University of Siena (Italy) ,
Start year 2021 End year 2025 Funding (€) € 3,074,246 Website https://lifemuscles.eu/en/ Summary The main objective of the LIFE MUSCLES project is to reduce the environmental impact of Polypropylene (PP) socks used for mussel farming, by developing and promoting a more sustainable production value chain. This will minimise the dispersion of PP socks in the marine environment, and encourage their recovery and recycling for the production of new socks and/or other items.
In particular, the project aims to:
1) Start the transition to a circular economic model within the mussel production sector in two pilot areas in Italy, North Gargano and La Spezia, through the recovery and recycling of PP socks used for mussels farming in the former, and their replacement with brand new biodegradable and compostable biopolymer (BP) socks in the latter;
2) Increase the sustainability of the mussel farming sector in the target areas by promoting the replacement of PP socks with BP socks, and validate the feasibility of mechanical and organic recycling of BP socks;
3) Provide Italian mussel farmers with a mobile Recycling Plant able to operate directly at their facilities;
4) Characterise the recycled PP and BP materials to ensure their applicability within the mussel farming supply chain and other production chains/sectors;
5) Promote the development of the new business model among companies in the mussel farming sector;
6) Raise awareness of key stakeholders, such as farmers, distributors and consumers, on the sustainability of the mussel production sector;
7) Define and transfer good practices to reduce the dispersion/abandonment of PP socks at sea.
Keywords
Open sea aquaculture;
Mollusc;
Wastes;
Mussel;
Environmental impact;
Waste management;
Shellfish;
Bivalve;
Marine Region
47
Ligurian and North Tyrrhenian Sea (GSA 9)
74
Northern Adriatic (GSA 17)
2
Marine Region Map
