RECOVERY AND RECYCLING OF VEGETAL BIOMASSES FOR REQUALIFICATION OF MARINE COASTAL AREAS

ENEA has developed an innovative procedure for the recovery of beached seagrass and vegetal wastes from urban-farming contexts to build structures and objects made of biodegradable/recyclable materials. Using this technology allows to reduce the amount of vegetal waste and favors their disposal. The procedure is registered under patent no. RM2014A000151.

Benefits and Advantages:

• recovery of natural resources and sustainable management of vegetal biomasses;
• reduction of waste production;
• sustainable management of beaches.

ENEA Activities:

ENEA has contributed to the management and recovery of beached plant biomasses as part of the Interreg OCR cooperation programs in the Mediterranean Basin. It has also conducted a pilot intervention, “smart island”, in the Egadi Archipelago, during which the technology has been tested to recover the Posidonia Oceanica seagrass meadow beached on the coasts during winter and to reimplant it on the seabed of the marine protected area. This technology can be easily transferred to the smaller contexts of Small Island Developing States (Sids).

Keywords:
vegetal biomass, natural resources, eco-innovation, climate change, coastal management, wastes, employment.