Alternative plastic-free solutions for cups & bottles will be developed and scaled up. Three promising formulations will be used in the injection moulding process to produce reusable, biobased, biodegradable, and recyclable cups. We will formulate the master batch with additives like ground coffee or bio-fibres. Then, we will pilot productions of bioplastic cups for festivals and beach bars. We will also support the strategy for local recycling of these cups. Additionally, suitable bottles made of glass or metal will be organised for bottle reuse schemes at the demos. Protective layers made from recycled plastics may be used for glass bottles. Demos will take place in Cyclades and Sea Dance Montenegro, resulting in the deployment of over 80.000 cups and 5.000 bottles.
This task is crucial for establishing zero waste cups and bottles reuse. On the one side, we will establish the cleaning system and on the other the water refill stations for the bottles. The commercial dishwasher will be coupled with a heat recovery and water treatment and reuse systems in order to minimise energy consumption and water use. The heat from the grey water of the dishwasher can be recovered through heat exchangers. This wastewater will be treated in green walls nearby to produce reclaimed water that can be recycled back into the dishwasher. For the festival and summer bar applications, this system will be built in a transportable ship container with green walls on the sides. Drinking water will be produced using commercially available dehumidifiers, where water vapours are recovered, treated and mineralised to produce high quality water for drinking purposes. The drinking water will be available in water fountains. Our goal is to produce a dishwasher system and two water fountains with 15m3 water production per year in Cyclades, Sea Dance in Montenegro and Porquerolles.
We will fabricate more than 1.000 m of biodegradable fishing gear. The material formulation for the gear will be developed, and improved master batch formulations will be produced using biodegradable polymers and natural fillers. Yarns will be spun and fishing nets and ropes will be processed. Quality control measures will be implemented to ensure compliance with international standards. The mechanical properties of the gear will be tested, and pilot-scale production will be carried out. Feedback will be collected from fishermen during pilot applications. Demos will be conducted in Sardinia and Cyclades.
The production and exploitation of the zero-waste seaweed biopolymer coating for cosmetics products without the need for plastic packaging will be done through the workshops involving small business owners or zero-waste enthusiasts doing home-made cosmetics. The cosmetics formulation will be based on the natural cosmetics (eco-label) ingredients with the addition of seaweed-based biopolymer and with the reduced water content to below 20%. Our goal is to conduct 9 workshops with more than 160 participants in Koper, Mykonos and Sea Dance festival.
Partners in all demo sites in Koper, Zaragoza, Mykonos, Sardinia, Porquerolles and Morocco, Tirana and Montenegro, will focus on developing regenerative zero waste value chains. Partners will work on connecting and scaling products and their supply chains as alternatives to single-use plastics, with a focus on packaging. The goal is to produce these alternatives in a decentralized manner, promote reusability, recyclability, and compostability. Initiatives already in place will be expanded upon, and new packaging solutions derived from sustainable bio-materials will be developed. Local businesses and entrepreneurs will be involved in the process. Awareness-raising campaigns will engage the community, and efforts will be made to introduce these solutions in supermarkets, shops, bars, and restaurants. We will establish Zero Waste online shops. The output will include the establishment of 10 circular supply chains, adoption of zero-waste solutions by 20 shops and 5 bars/restaurants, and the creation of 2 online zero waste shops.
