According to the United Nations, half of all plastic-made products are designed to be used only once and then thrown away, writes Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Head of Application Development New Business Areas at Lenzing AG.
The detrimental impact of plastic pollution and microplastics is not unfamiliar to us and it is an environmental issue that needs to be addressed and solved. About 8 million tonnes of plastics end up going into the ocean every year, resulting in an estimated 165 million tonnes of plastic debris. On top of this, synthetic fibres and plastics lost to the oceans account for 80% of all marine pollution and are posing direct threats to marine life. A vicious life-threatening cycle is then created as microplastics enter our food chain. There is an imminent need for the marine industry and other related stakeholders to work more closely together to protect the marine ecosystem.
The aquaculture industry, which now accounts for half the world’s seafood supply, is facing the challenge of reducing its use of plastics. While this is an important material for aquaculture equipment there is also increasing concern about the adverse effects of microplastics on marine organisms. According to research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), oysters exposed to polystyrene microplastics produced fewer offspring and compared to offspring from unexposed oysters they tended to be smaller in size and grew at a slower rate.
However, a number of sustainability measures have been initiated in the aquaculture industry. One example is from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in the UK. The ASC is leading the fight against aquaculture plastic waste and plans to initiate specific requirements for farms to properly dispose of plastics. It will become the first and only aquaculture organisation to join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), an alliance of organisations working to find solutions to the problem of lost, abandoned or discarded fishing gear – known as ghost gear.
On the other hand, a study by a team of scientists from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), University of Adelaide and Macquarie University in Australia, suggests that some of the broader, positive ecosystem and social benefits associated with aquaculture operations may have been overlooked. To ensure aquaculture can deliver ecosystem services without these benefits being compromised by negative impacts, it would require aquaculture facilities to be more eco-conscious of their design and interaction with their surroundings, in order to maximise the positive effects.
This May, Lenzing Group, a market leader in speciality fibres based on wood as a renewable material, announced its first test results of a project, in collaboration with two German research institutes, Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) and FIUM GmbH & Co. KG – Institut für Fisch & Umwelt (FIUM). The project was launched last year with the objective to develop a sustainable solution for the marine industry which will not compromise mechanical performance. The project produced from using wood-based Lenzing™ Lyocell fibres in the construction of ropes and nets. These more sustainable mussel nets and ropes can replace traditional ones that support the cultivation of marine creatures such as molluscs, mussels and edible seaweed and reduce the use of plastics in the sea. Nets that are then released into the water due to accident, storm damage, negligence or any other causes will biodegrade within a reasonable timeframe and not leave non-degradable residues. These nets and ropes made with Lenzing™ Lyocell fibres have also been proven to have sufficient strength to carry the weight of those growing creatures without breakage, the quality is not compromised whilst being more sustainable.
Lenzing’s collaboration partner, Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V, constructed different prototypes and replicate botanic mussel nets and ropes out of Lyocell fibres in March 2018. An initial test on these botanic mussel nets and ropes was started in the Baltic Sea, where prototypes were installed in water between 6 and 10 metres deep at an artificial reef platform in Germany. After four organised dives by FIUM, the first test results were available. Mussel nets and ropes made from Lyocell fibers proved to be an appealing material for marine organisms to grow on. In the end, 14 different sea dwellers such as blue mussels, crustaceans, echinoderms and snails adhered onto the test material.
While evidently still performing the same function as traditional mussel nets and ropes, the botanic alternative made from Lyocell fibre has been certified as compostable and biodegradable under marine conditions, therefore Lyocell fibres have great potential to become a sustainable solution for the aquatic farming industry. This indicates that if pieces of the nets made of Lyocell fibres break off, they will harmlessly decompose and have no hurtful effects on marine organisms. Sustainable nets will also lose their “ghost aquafarming” capability much quicker than conventional nets, thus helping to reduce future marine conservation costs. To close the sustainability cycle, the eco-nets can be composted after harvesting and processing.
To drive sustainability for the marine environment, the aquatic farming industry needs to start thinking about compostability and biodegradability while supporting the development of sustainable alternatives to plastic and toxic compounds. Industry stakeholders need to continue their innovative development to further optimise net construction for more durable products by broadening the use of 100% Lyocell fibres based marine nets in the marine industry. By doing so, this will help raise the industry’s sustainability standard and promote a healthier marine ecosystem.
