AIMPLAS, the Institute of Marine Sciences, and the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia are participating in the OCEANZYME project, involving the enzyme-based recycling of plastic waste found in deep-sea environments.
Coordinated by the Vertidos Cero Association and co-funded through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, the project aims to recycle degraded waste retrieved from the ocean – which typically raises challenges for mechanical recycling – using enzyme-based technologies.
The goal is to unlock value for the marine litter collected by fishers and apply the resultant products in fisheries, aquaculture, and other sectors. To achieve this, the project will focus on two of five marine regions in Spain where average densities range from 40 to 300 items per km².
Plastic waste will be collected through passive fishing campaigns, which will catch litter rather than fish. This litter will be characterized to analyze its associated microbial communities through metagenomics.
The consortium will carry out pure isolations of bacteria with the potential to degrade different plastic compounds, and enzymes with degradation potential will be identified, modelled in 3D together with the plastic substrates, produced and tested to validate their possible use in enzymatic recycling applications.
The initiative will take place from 2026 to 2028.
AIMPLAS is also working on the European MULTIPLY project, which aims to replace fossil- and food-based ingredients with biobased alternatives – this includes developing recyclable barrier coatings and active cosmetics packaging made from microalgae.
In other news, a previous edition of the Brief weighed up the pros and cons of retrieving plastic waste from the ocean – including the use of AI-powered tools and machine learning to locate and retrieve pollution.
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:
The ultimate guide to packaging innovation in 2026
Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation: what to know in 2026
Everything you need to know about global packaging sustainability regulation
No comments yet