Kick-off meeting of Record project: new recycling solutions for the management of coastal waste
The kick-off meeting of the project RE.CO.RD “REcycling strategies for the COastal sustainable waste management towards R&D Innovation” was held on 31st July 2018 in Otranto (Basiliani CDSHotels).
The Municipality of Otranto is the Lead Partner of the project that involves two Italian partners, the University of Salento and the Municipality of Santa Cesarea Terme, and two Greek partners, the Municipality of Lefkada and the Technological educational institute of Epirus – Special account for research funds.
The project RE.CO.RD, funded under Priority Axis 2 – Integrated Environmental Management, with a budget of 887.000,00 euro, aims to experiment with new recycling solutions for the waste produced on the coast, due to the high presence of tourists and economic activities. The main goal is to reduce the environmental impact of the sea pollution through the introduction of new technologies that reuse plastic materials.
Thanks to the RE.CO.RD project, two innovative prototypes for the collection, weighing of solid waste and the recycling of plastic material will be created through the use of 3D printers: they will transform the plastic from waste to a new product, ready to be reused.
Moreover, 6 demonstrative actions will be organized on the beaches in order to test the prototypes, to involve the citizens and to make aware the local community of the sustainable waste management.
Finally, the project will promote a cross-border model of sustainable use of the coasts through a common and shared strategy for the waste management between Puglia and Greece that will contribute to the safeguard of the coastal ecosystem.
“It will be an innovative experimentation in the collection and reuse of coastal waste” – explains Pierpaolo Cariddi, Mayor of Municipality of Otranto. The project partners will together implement the project activities to preserve the natural resources, for our own benefit and for the future generations. The project will involve the local community, young people and schools because only a good training can trigger virtuous processes of changing, focused on the protection of the environment and the coasts”
