A second chance for mussel nets
While mussel farming is environmentally friendly, the plastic nets – or socks – in which they are submerged are not. When these socks are replaced, many get lost at sea: in Italy, mussel socks are the third most abundant waste item found on the seafloor. To mitigate this risk, LIFE MUSCLES implemented a mobile recovery and recycling process where plastic mussel socks were collected and converted into new socks. The project also developed a biodegradable sock made of compostable biopolymer to replace the use of polymer-based socks.