Piraeus’ new-age waste collectors

Supported By: Piraeus

‘One man’s waste is another man’s treasure’ and nowhere is this truer than in Piraeus, where BlueCycle has created a circular economy solution to plastic waste, transforming ocean waste from fishing and shipping activities, into funky new furniture.

BlueCycle collects the waste, cleans it, and uses 3D printing technology to convert into usable objects – from tables, chairs, sofas and vases to toys, clothes, playgrounds and building materials.

Current ventures include using waste plastic to create thread for textiles and using the dirtiest materials collected from the sea, which, until now, could not be recycled, to produce sturdy wheelchair ramps. To avoid generating new plastic waste, everything BlueCycle creates is made to order and serves a new purpose.

Another initiative battling plastic in the ocean is Enaleia, working in collaboration with 21 ports across Greece and Italy to collect old nets and plastic waste from fishing vessels, which are then recycled and upcycled. The scheme sends plastic bottles to a fashion company to start a new life as clothing, whilst old nets are sent to eco-organisation Healthy Seas and transformed into socks and swimwear.

Visit Website: https://www.madebybluecycle.com/