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Circular and lower impact mussel and seaweed aquaculture by a shift towards bio‐based ropes
Summary
This review examines how shifting mussel and seaweed aquaculture from conventional plastic ropes to bio-based alternatives could reduce marine litter and microplastic generation. Bio-based ropes offer comparable functionality while providing better end-of-life options, including recycling and biodegradation. The transition would support circular economy principles and help reduce the aquaculture industry's contribution to ocean plastic pollution.
Abstract Worldwide, current mussel and seaweed aquaculture practices contribute to the increase of fossil fuel‐based plastic gears at sea, leading to marine litter and microplastics generation. Smart aquaculture has a great potential for shifting towards the use of lower impact bio‐based and biodegradable gears. This review defines the value chain of biogears as more sustainable gears for mussel and seaweed aquaculture, and sustainability issues covering technology, environmental impacts, economy‐market, policy, and social drivers for their potential implementation. Fit to purpose durability and functionality attributes, end‐of‐life (EoL) options and environmental benefits are key features for competitiveness of biogears versus conventional fossil fuel‐based aquaculture gears. EoL management for collection, sorting and logistics of biogears to recycling facilities is needed for the up cycling of bio‐based materials thus ensuring application of principles of circularity. The selection of the biopolymers for recyclability, improvement of the polymerisation and recycling processes together with the enhanced deployment of recycling facilities are considered as key factors for eco‐designing of circular biogears. Current policies supporting bio‐based plastics in marine applications and social benefits, as environmental sustainability, healthy products, and circular business opportunities, are likewise added value for the development and use of biogears. Overall, biogears can reduce environmental negative impacts in mussel and seaweed productions, while enabling circular use of bio‐based materials and sustainable circular bioeconomy.