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The Great Bubble Barrier Is Coming to Portugal!

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AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, 16TH SEPTEMBER 2021 – This World Clean Up Day, The Great Bubble Barrier is excited to announce its participation to project MAELSTROM, which will see the implementation of the first Bubble Barrier outside of The Netherlands. This new Bubble Barrier in Portugal is co funded by the EU as part of project MAELSTROM, which is dedicated to finding ways to intercept and process marine litter and reduce its impact on coastal ecosystems.

THE FIRST BUBBLE BARRIER OUTSIDE OF THE NETHERLANDS

Following the successful installation of the first long-term Bubble Barrier at Westerdok in Amsterdam, The Great Bubble Barrier has been working to deploy its technology in other countries. Through project MAELSTROM, the team aims to install the first tidal Bubble Barrier in the Porto region of Portugal. Plastic pollution is threatening coastlines globally, and Portugal is no exception. According to a recent study the Porto region is home to two of the rivers with the highest levels of plastic pollution in Portugal1.
“There is an urgent need for measures that stop plastic from flowing into our oceans. With the installation of a Bubble Barrier in the Porto region, we will be able to tackle the problem close to the source” explains co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Philip Ehrhorn. “At the same time, we aim to build awareness among both residents and visitors about the issue of plastic pollution, making the impact of the project bigger than just regional.”

PART OF ONE OF THE LARGEST EU PROJECTS ON MARINE LITTER – MAELSTROM

The new Bubble Barrier in the Porto Region is part of project MAELSTROM, a consortium of 14 European parties. Project MAELSTROM – MArine Litter SusTainable remOval and Management – aims to implement innovative and environmentally sustainable technologies to intercept and remove litter from rivers, as well as from the seabed. The project will assess ecological status before and after implementation of the technologies to assess their impact. The project will investigate new methods for recycling and reusing the marine and riverine litter collected via the Bubble Barrier. The Great Bubble Barrier is responsible for designing and implementing a Bubble Barrier in the Porto Region as one of two methods for collecting marine and riverine litter. MAELSTROM aims to sort and recycle the collected marine litter and put it to new uses in line with the Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Union. Project MAELSTROM encompasses a series of events where the results of the research will be shared. The Great Bubble Barrier is actively seeking local stakeholders and communities around Porto to join forces on this project and to support the fight against plastic pollution locally.

BE A PART OF THE PROJECT

The goal of The Great Bubble Barrier is to keep this new Bubble Barrier operational beyond the life of project MAELSTROM. The problem of plastic pollution will not be solved within the four years of the project; leaving the Bubble Barrier in place can have a lasting impact on preventing plastic from reaching the ocean. The project team is looking for organisations that want to join forces across industries and make a difference by funding part of the installation and operation of Bubble Barrier Porto Region. By partnering with The Great Bubble Barrier on this project, you will not only prevent riverine plastic pollution and maintain a healthy ecosystem but become a true changemaker for this region and beyond. 16-09-2021 | THE GREAT BUBBLE BARRIER © 2021

Read more about this project

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