BluePoint - an international alliance to combat plastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean

BluePoint is an ambitious European Project to address the problem of marine plastic pollution and turn it into an opportunity to establish a Blue Circular Economy along the coastal regions of Western Europe.

One of 12 partners involved in BluePoint is Michelle O’Rourke, Business Consultant and Manager of European Projects at South East BIC.

Speaking at the launch, Michelle explained that BluePoint is an ambitious project seeking to address the problem of marine plastics and turn it into an opportunity to establish a Blue Circular Economy in the regions of Gipuzkoa, Cantabria, Asturias, Portugal, France, and Ireland. Plastic waste in the sea seriously affects biodiversity, health, and the maritime economy. BluePoint will seek innovative solutions to retrieve and re-use marine plastics as raw materials, thus establishing a new value chain.

This project is based on an initiative to combat plastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean, giving sustainability a boost and generating new opportunities for the Blue Economy. BluePoint takes a holistic approach to the problem, homing in on the identification of and trading in products and services arising from marine plastics.

According to the OECD's February 2022 report, our oceans contain 140 million tonnes of waste, and plastic accounts for 80% of it. The BluePoint project will focus on the Bay of Biscay, where estimates put the amount of marine plastics affecting the Atlantic-Cantabrian coast at over 55,000 tonnes.

José Ignacio Asensio, a lead partner said, “The oceans are our planet's most precious jewel, and plastic pollution is threatening their health and biodiversity. BluePoint seeks to retrieve and re-use marine plastics, establishing a sustainable value chain to the benefit of our local communities, encouraging the creation of jobs and new businesses based around the Blue Economy".

If you would like to express an interest in the supply/demand chain of marine plastics, Michelle would be delighted to hear from you. Contact her at morourke@southeastbic.ie

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