UPCYCLING THE OCEANS

Upcycling the Oceans – by the Ecoalf Foundation and Ecoembes – and Santander for the Seas collect 225 tons from the sea with Satlink smart buoys

• This achievement has been possible thanks to the involvement of 35 ports in the Upcycling the Oceans collaborative network – an initiative developed by the Ecoalf Foundation and Ecoembes – and the local trawler fleet.
• The project has carried out a pioneering pilot with smart buoys from Spanish technology company Satlink, equipped with GPS location systems and current prediction software to monitor floating waste and facilitate its collection, expanding the participation of small-scale fishing vessels in the fight against marine litter.
• Over the past two years, more than 90 visits to ports and 40 educational and awareness-raising sessions have been held, with the aim of understanding the challenges faced by the fishing fleet and highlighting their role in tackling marine litter.

Every year, tons of marine litter threaten biodiversity, food security, and coastal economies. Aware of this challenge, the Ecoalf Foundation, with the support of the Santander Foundation, launched in 2023 Upcycling the Oceans Levante, an innovative project that combines science, technology, and collaboration with the fishing sector to fight marine pollution.

Over these two years, thanks to the port network of the Upcycling the Oceans project—created in 2015 and supported from the outset by Ecoembes—more than 225 tons of waste have been removed from the seabed. This has been possible thanks to the commitment of 35 ports and their trawler fleets, which have voluntarily integrated this passive collection into their daily activity without affecting operations.

Technological innovation to locate floating litter

Santander for the Seas has promoted a pioneering pilot in the ports of Torrevieja, Delta del Ebre, and Port de la Selva, validating the use of Satlink’s smart buoys and current prediction software to identify and recover floating debris before it reaches marine protected areas. This system allows small-scale fishing vessels to actively participate by marking and signalling waste without the need to store it on board, and it has been very well received by the fishing sector. This application of smart buoys—initially developed for Satlink’s ReCon project—thus demonstrates their potential to strengthen citizen science and broaden the impact of technological solutions in marine protection.

Circular economy, awareness, and partnerships

The project aims to actively contribute to cleaning the oceans and give a new life to marine litter through recycling processes. This initiative, based on collaboration with the fishing sector, public awareness, and environmental commitment, seeks to free the seas from waste. Thanks to the voluntary involvement of fishers, who collect debris trapped in their nets during fishing operations, this waste is brought ashore and properly managed, preventing further damage to marine ecosystems.

The collected waste is delivered to authorised local managers within the Ecoembes network for sorting and treatment, reinforcing the need to act at the source and promoting a circular economy that gives recovered materials a new life.

The project has strengthened its ties with the fishing sector through more than 90 port visits involving training, interviews, and feedback sessions, as well as 40 educational events and international forums, consolidating it as a replicable model of collaboration between science, technology, and traditional fishing practices.

A model for the future

This experience shows that marine protection is possible when built locally, on trust-based relationships and accessible technological tools. The results pave the way for scaling the model to more regions and fleets, integrating new technologies for marine observation and waste traceability, and strengthening networks of collaboration between fishers, NGOs, and administrations.

Sobre Ecoembes 

Since 1997, Ecoembes has been driving the recycling of household packaging made of plastic, metal, cartons, wood, paper, and cardboard in Spain. Its purpose is to work towards a waste-free future through reduction, reuse, and recycling, leaving a positive impact on society and the environment. In 2024, Ecoembes recycled more than 1.5 million tons of the packaging it manages, 5.4% more than the previous year. Ecoembes operates on a non-profit basis, is regulated by Law 7/2022 and Royal Decree 1055/2022, and is trusted by more than 20,000 companies to make packaging recycling possible. Since 2025, Ecoembes has also been responsible for managing commercial and industrial packaging, thus providing a solution to the new obligations set by regulation for companies.

More information: https://www.ecoembestransparencia.com/

About the Ecoalf Foundation

The Ecoalf Foundation is a non-profit organisation whose main goal is to promote the selective recovery of waste to recycle, repurpose, and prevent its harmful impact on the environment through the development and application of new scientific and technological knowledge. It also works to educate and raise awareness about the need to protect the oceans.

About Ecoalf

Ecoalf was founded in 2009 with the vision of putting an end to the careless use of natural resources to preserve them for future generations. Since then, Ecoalf’s mission has been to create a new generation of recycled products with the same quality and design as the best non-recycled ones. Over the past 15 years, through innovation and R&D, Ecoalf has developed more than 600 recycled fabrics that have repurposed over 300 million plastic bottles, tons of discarded fishing nets, used tires, and post-industrial cotton and wool—saving more than 285 million litres of water and 1,300 tons of CO₂ in its Spring-Summer 2025 collection.

About Satlink

Satlink is a Spanish company and a global leader in the development of technological solutions for the maritime environment, with a clear focus on ocean management and knowledge. With offices in 10 countries and local partners worldwide, Satlink exports its solutions to 90 countries and collaborates with more than 35 governments as a strategic technology partner in the management of their maritime resources and environments.