Repêchons les Océans
Founded in Spain in 2015, the international network Upcycling the Oceans transforms marine waste into resources through innovation and the circular economy.
Now operating in Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Egypt, the programme brings together more than 4,300 volunteer fishermen who have removed more than 2,000 tonnes of waste from the seabed.
Upcycling the Oceans is a marine waste recovery programme with multiple objectives: to protect marine biodiversity, collect data to support scientific prevention initiatives, raise public awareness of marine pollution issues and promote a circular economy model based on waste recovery.
In France, the initiative is called ‘Repêchons les océans’. Thanks to the experience gained within this international network, the programme is adapting and expanding its activities across France. In 2025, 14 ports are participating in the programme: Boulogne-sur-Mer, Le Tréport, Dieppe, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Erquy, Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo, Roscoff, Douarnenez, Saint-Guénolé, Lorient, Port-la-Nouvelle, Le Grau d'Agde, Sète and Le Grau du Roi.
The initiative relies on fishermen, mainly trawlers, collecting marine waste that has accidentally become entangled in their fishing gear. The fishermen then bring the waste back to port and deposit it in containers dedicated to the programme. These containers are then collected by waste management partners and transported to their sites, where the waste is characterised in order to understand its nature. Finally, the waste is sorted so that recyclable materials (plastics, metals, glass, wood) can be given a second life.
The bins and collection are funded by the Ecoalf Foundation. There are no costs to the port.
Type of waste : Waste recovered from fishing gear.
Quantity of waste : 77 tonnes since 2022
Infos
Location(s): Boulogne-sur-Mer, Le Tréport, Dieppe, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Erquy, Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo, Roscoff, Douarnenez, Saint-Guénolé, Lorient, Port-la-Nouvelle, Le Grau d’Agde, Sète and Le Grau du Roi
Duration: Since 2020
Partner(s): Fondation de la Mer
Funding: Ecoalf Foundation and Fondation de la Mer
Contact : tmudes@fundacionecoalf.org
Results
In France, 14 ports, 330 boats and 900 fishermen are participating in the programme, joining a network of 74 ports.
Since 2022, French fishermen have collected 77 tonnes of waste.
The programme also contributes to data collection by analysing the proportion of materials present in the waste collected in certain ports.
Initiatives to discover
initiative(s)
FILIPECH
The FILIPECH project has taken two main actions: the establishment of the producer responsability organisation dedicated to the management of end-of-life fishing gear, and the carrying out of new experiments in four ports to test and improve the collection and recovery of used HDPE trawls
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Gravity Wave
Gravity Wave is a social start-up based in Spain. committed to combating marine pollution through a circular economy model.
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IFF Plastics
IFF Plastics in Co. Clare, Ireland worked together with BIM to investigate if retired fishing nets from ports could be recycled into a material to create products such as fence posts.
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Oyster Bag Waste Management
Studies and trials have been carried out on managing waste aquaculture gear, determining the feasibility of disposal of end of life gear through recycling and other systems in comparison to other disposal strategies such as landfill.
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Repescaplas
The initiative aimed at mitigating the impact of marine litter, particularly plastic waste, through its recovery, characterisation, and valorisation into useful products.
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SAO Textile
SAO is a French mission-driven company founded in February 2023. It is dedicated to recycling used fishing nets into eco-friendly textiles.
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Upcycling the Oceans
Founded in Spain in 2015, the international network Upcycling the Oceans transforms marine waste into resources through innovation and the circular economy.
Read more