Imagine a digital guidebook that helps city managers stop trash from flowing from rivers into the ocean. Instead of hiring expensive consultants for every single stream, they can use this shared set of science-backed tools to pick the best cleanup method. It is like having a professional diagnostic kit for water pollution that everyone can access and improve together.
Local authorities often rely on fragmented, expensive external studies to manage river pollution. This leads to slow decision-making and inconsistent methods for stopping plastics from reaching the sea.
A knowledge-to-action toolbox that serves as a decision support platform for detecting, collecting, and preventing marine litter.
If you are a filtration equipment provider dealing with unpredictable demand for river cleanup systems — this project developed a decision support toolbox that helps local authorities identify the best collection options. This means your products are matched to the right locations based on science-backed data.
If you are a waste collection company dealing with inefficient plastic recovery from waterways — this project developed a standardized method for detection and collection. This allows you to optimize your pickup routes and equipment based on evidence-based data.
If you are a data analytics firm dealing with fragmented pollution datasets — this project developed a toolbox connected to the European Open Science Cloud. You can leverage this federated infrastructure to build more accurate predictive models for marine litter.
Based on available project data, the toolbox is designed as an open, science-based resource, suggesting it will be accessible to public authorities and researchers without a direct purchase price.
The project aims to provide standardized methods for local and regional authorities across 10 countries, indicating a design intended for wide-scale public application.
Based on available project data, the results will be aligned with FAIR data principles and integrated into the European Open Science Cloud for reuse.
The toolbox ensures that local decisions are aligned with EU goals for a cleaner ocean, helping authorities meet regulatory targets more efficiently.
The project runs from 2026-09-15 to 2030-09-14, with the full version of the toolbox expected by the end of this period.
The project features a strong research-heavy base with 10 research organizations and 3 universities, balanced by a 25% industry participation rate. With 5 SMEs and 5 industry partners across 10 countries, the consortium is well-positioned to translate scientific data into practical tools for the public sector.
Contact VLAAMS INSTITUUT VOOR DE ZEE in Belgium
Contact us to track the transition from alpha to beta versions of this toolbox.
