Life Cycle Assessment of Marine Waste Recycling Practices: Comparative Environmental Impacts and Determinant Factors

In recent years, institutions and civil society have increased their awareness and commitment to protecting the marine ecosystem. This change has led to the creation of a specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for the protection of the marine ecosystem, as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Despite these efforts, the situation remains unchanged. Numerous companies are taking steps to contribute to solving the problem, turning it into an opportunity. This paper addresses the issue of marine litter, with a focus on management during the recycling phase. In particular, it analyses how materials found near the sea are recycled, assessing which of these techniques are most effective from an economic and environmental point of view. The theoretical topics covered in Chapter 2, the “literature review”, were used to identify an answer to the research question. Among the methods used is the LCA methodology, which allows all the impacts of a process to be identified and tracked throughout its useful life. This model is essential for tracking the life of a product or process, from its creation to its reuse. It is fundamental to ensuring a complete and accurate analysis. Furthermore, the circular economy is another topic of fundamental importance for this sector, to which a large part of the literature is currently dedicated. Many companies in this sector start with this type of business idea and then develop more innovative and sustainable ideas. As discussed in Chapter 3, the method used for this research is a semi-structured interview conducted with five participants representing three companies. Seaqual is a Spanish company that specialises in the production of recycled yarns. Acquafil is an Italian company operating in the yarn recycling sector, with a presence complementary to that of Seaqual. Erion Packaging is another Italian company involved in packaging recycling. The first two companies operate in the waste collection and recycling sector, with the aim of obtaining a final product from these materials. Erion Packaging has proved to be a useful tool for comparing other recycling methods. In the concluding chapter, in addition to demonstrating the existence of a method that stands out for its environmental and economic sustainability compared to others, the difficulties encountered during the implementation of this project will be examined and suggestions will be provided for future researchers who wish to address this issue.