Project: Free-LitterAT

The Project “Free-LitterAT – Advancing towards litter-free Atlantic coastal communities by preventing and reducing macro and micro litter” where an interdisciplinary group of Professors from the Faculty of Engineering of Lusófona University – Lisbon (UL-CUL) participates, was approved. The Project is financially supported by Interreg Atlantic Area, European Regional Development Fund (European Union) Programme having a total budget of €3,765,474.20 being UL-CUL budget €405,570.02.

Multiple international partners (research institutions, administrations, policymakers and universities) are taking part in the project, which is led by the CETMAR team (Control and Management of the Marine Environment and Resources – Spain). UL-CUL leads one of the 4 Work Packages and collaborates in the others.

The overall objective of Free-LitterAT is to protect and preserve biodiversity and reduce pollution by marine litter. This will be achieved by developing, testing and implementing innovative approaches to prevent and reduce marine litter, with special emphasis on ALDFG and microplastics, and by understanding location, sources and abundances. The broader goal is to achieve litter-free coastal communities by combining science and technology development with implementation through pilot actions and multi-stakeholder engagement.