An innovative circular economy solution addressing the issue of marine debris, particularly fishing nets

Palana Environnement is a nonprofit organization established under the French Law of 1901, founded on June 21, 2016. Our goal is to promote and preserve marine and terrestrial ecosystems using innovative methods and techniques

Net Sea is a collaborative project supported by a broad community of stakeholders, organizations, and experts committed to the protection and management of the marine environment. The project offers an innovative circular economy solution with a strong communication focus on the issue of marine debris.

Launched in 2016, the initiative covers the entire chain: from identifying waste to collecting, sorting, and recycling plastics, all the way to the eco-design of new products. The project focuses primarily on a very specific type of waste: nylon fishing nets.

Drawing on the expertise of our team of 15 volunteers, the Net Sea project combines diving, scientific analysis, collection, recycling, upcycling, and awareness-raising activities. As a result, the marine debris collected will be recycled into a range of products designed specifically for maritime activities, whether professional or recreational.

OUR ACTIONS

Collection of Waste from Community
Cleanups Palana Environnement partners with numerous cleanup events organized by environmental organizations.

Recycling
A significant part of the Net Sea project involves the processing and upcycling of plastic waste. To this end, the organization operates a workshop in Aix-en-Provence where it crafts its eco-designed products and has built several machines from the “Precious Plastic” project (an open-source initiative) dedicated to recycling plastics. First, a “Shredder” in which plastics are reduced to flakes. These plastic flakes are then fed into an “Injection Molding Machine” to be melted before being injected into molds to create new objects. The latest machine built is an oven where the plastic is heated slowly; this machine is used in particular for prototyping, conducting plastic tests, and producing large parts.
It raises awareness among the general public, schools, and businesses about the issue of marine pollution through its Mobile Recycling Center

Awareness
Palana Environnement is also involved in outreach initiatives aimed at all audiences, focusing on environmental issues and the importance of the marine environment. As part of this effort, Palana Environnement offers educational activities for children on the problems of ghost nets, marine debris, and their recycling.

Education
With members including scientists holding degrees in marine environmental science, the association offers courses in oceanography, biology, marine ecology, and species adaptation to extreme environments. These courses are integrated as a teaching unit into the curriculum of the Sup'Biotech Paris engineering school specializing in biotechnology.