Four tons of a specific type of waste were recovered in Sardinia's Gulf of Asinara. The underwater searches will soon extend to the seas of Civitavecchia, Calafuria (Livorno), and Calvi on Corsica. Submerged waste frequently looks like skeins of iron, plastic, lead, or rope. They serve as fishing nets. Mountains of hazardous waste for the seabed trap fauna, suffocate aquatic flora, such as Posidonia oceanica, and harm coralligenous communities. With 2.8 million euros in European funding, Ispra (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) launched the five-year Strong Sea Life project at the end of 2021 to recover and reuse those kilometers of "ghost" nets. The nets afre reused in a variety of ways: for instance, the Desacré women's social cooperative in Nuoro creates backpacks, bracelets, and other eco-friendly design accessories; while in Pordenone, a recycling facility manufactures benches, planters, and other street furniture.
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