Athens 25 November 2016: The Andromeda Group is not only a leading group of companies in the field of aquaculture in the Mediterranean but also a valued partner of the ground-breaking initiative known as “Healthy Seas: A journey from Waste to Wear”, which for the last two years has been coordinated in Greece by MEDASSET.
On Friday 25 November, 25 tonnes of disused nets were collected from the Andromeda Group’s installations at Vonitsa, Greece and shipped to Slovenia where, after specialised processing, they will be turned into premium quality ECONYL® yarn, which, among other things, is used in the manufacture of new clothing.
“Healthy Seas: A Journey from Waste to Wear” is an innovative initiative that is carried out across 5 European countries with the cooperation of environmental NGOs, volunteer and professional divers, sustainable businesses, fishermen’s associations and aquaculture ventures. All partners share a common vision: seas that are clear of “ghost nets” that are responsible for the needless death of thousands of marine creatures.
It is worth noting that the initiative does not confine itself to the clearing and collection of disused nets and their removal from our seas alone. It is also at the vanguard of the effort to make more productive use of resources through the application of the principles of the circular economy.
In recessionary times, when there are severe financial difficulties facing our communities, the “Healthy Seas” initiative, which treats waste as a raw material, is a shining example of best practice in the field of sustainable development.
For more information please contact:
Jenny Ioannou, Head of Communications, MEDASSET
+30 210 3613572
medasset[@]medasset.org
www.medasset.org, http://www.medasset.org/our-projects/healthy-seas-initiative, www.healthyseas.org
Notes to Editors:
Founded in 1988, MEDASSET is an international environmental NGO registered as a charity and limited liability company in the UK and a Permanent Observer-Member to the Bern Convention, Council of Europe. MEDASSET is working closely with MEDASSET Greece – a not-for-profit organisation established in 1993 in Greece, which is a partner to the UN’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP). Both organisations are active in the study and conservation of sea turtles and their habitats throughout the Mediterranean. Common goals are achieved through scientific research, environmental education, lobbying relevant decision makers, and raising public awareness.
About Healthy Seas: A Journey from Waste to Wear
Healthy Seas is an initiative that recovers abandoned fishing nets that pollute our seas and coasts and thanks to the ECONYL® Regeneration System the contained nylon is regenerated into high-quality yarn which is then turned into brand new sustainable textiles.
www.healthyseas.org
www.facebook.com/healthyseas
www.twitter.com/healthyseas_org
