Pinovo

Solution: 50% of all paint is plastic and, when it comes off steel structures during blasting in service maintenance, it ends up in the ocean in a form of microplastic pollution. Steel structures such as oil rigs, ships, and wind turbines, are generally located in or next to the ocean. Pinovo has developed a closed loop circular vacuum blasting system that stops paint microplastics from entering the ocean by removing it at its source during maintenance.

Pinovo’s patented technology and equipment recover paint residuals, rust and blasting material during surface treatment. Waste is then safely disposed of and Pinovo aims to incorporate a recycling solution as their technology develops. It is estimated that total paint microplastic pollution could be between 1.5-2.25 million tonnes per year. By using Pinovo’s vacuum technology, paint microplastics are prevented from entering the ocean.

Why is innovation to transform ocean health important to you: “The statistics on the importance of ocean health for climate change mitigation, feeding the world's growing population, reducing global inequality, amenity value, etc. are all well known. What we need today is to change the way we have been doing things. Experience and evidence shows that the only way to do that is innovation. Research is now demonstrating that small companies are most effective in this respect. Innovation = Change!” - Declan McAdams, Chairman.