PROMARES – Circular Sea Project: building solutions is an international initiative of scientific, technological and institutional cooperation dedicated to reducing marine litter, strengthening the circular economy and boosting sustainable solid waste management in Brazil, with special attention to the North and Northeast regions.
The project stems from the recognition that the country faces major challenges in urban solid waste management – including the degradation of precarious landfills, the lack of adequate sanitation infrastructure and gaps in integrated policies. These factors have increased the influx of plastics into rivers, coasts and oceans, generating microplastic contamination and compromising biodiversity, human health and local economies dependent on aquatic resources.
Coordinated by the Technical University of Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig – Germany) and funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the public institution Zukunft Umwelt Gesellschaft (ZUG), under the Grant Programme against Marine Litter, PROMARES is implemented in partnership with Brazilian universities and institutions: UFPA – Universidade Federal do Pará, UFF – Universidade Federal Fluminense, UEMA – Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, UnB – Universidade de Brasília, UFT – Universidade Federal do Tocantins, UFC – Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFPE – Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, UPE – Universidade de Pernambuco, UFRJ – Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ – Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, UFSC – Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSM – Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, and Instituto Costa Brasilis/USP.
From 2025 to 2028, operating in the states of Pará, Maranhão, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, integrating science, public policies, innovation and social inclusion. Its proposal goes beyond tackling marine litter: it seeks to reconfigure the life cycle of plastics, supporting the transition to a fair, sustainable and socially inclusive circular economy. PROMARES mobilises communities, universities, public managers, waste picker cooperatives, social organisations and policymakers, acting in an integrated manner at local, regional and national levels.
More information can be found here: PROMARES
| Project: | PROMARES - Circular Sea Project |
| Duration: | November 2025 to November 2028 |
| Funding institution: | Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the public institution Zukunft Umwelt Gesellschaft (ZUG) |
| Cooperation partner: | Leichtweiß-Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources - Division of Waste and Resource Management |
| Contact: | Dr. Pedro M. Achanccaray Diaz |
| Cosima Berger |