POLARIS

Accidental pollution by plastic pellets is a major issue for marine and coastal environments. Several maritime accidents involving IPPs have occurred in recent years, such as the cargo loss from the Trans Carrier in the North Sea, the X-Press Pearl (2021) fire in Sri Lanka, the container loss from the Toconao (2023) off northern Portugal, and the collision between the Solong and the Stena Immaculate (2025) off the coast of the United Kingdom. These recent events have highlighted the transboundary consequences of this type of pollution and the need for a coordinated response at the European level.

However, despite the experience gained in oil spill response, no harmonized operational procedure currently exists to respond to plastic pellets spills following maritime accidents. Current pollution preparedness and response frameworks do not account for the specific physical properties of these microplastics: low visibility at sea, high dispersal capacity, accumulation over extensive coastal areas, and long, tedious, and costly cleanup operations. National authorities and local stakeholders also emphasize a lack of predictive tools, risk maps, and common protocols, as well as a deficit in coordination between different levels of governance and the volunteers potentially mobilized during crises.

Project Objectives:

The POLARIS project aims to strengthen the preparedness and response capacity of European and national institutions to accidental marine pollution by plastics pellets. The project will implement an integrated approach combining scientific research, technological innovation, and operational capacity building.

To achieve this, POLARIS follows a strategy centered on three main axes:

• Axis 1: Improving operational response and scientific knowledge.
• Axis 2: Developing tools, guidelines, and best practices for authorities and operators.
• Axis 3: Strengthening capacity building, communication, and risk culture.

In addition to coordinating two work packages (including communication), Cedre will lead various actions. It will specifically be responsible for conducting experimental studies in the Polludrome^® to deepen knowledge of plastic pellets behavior as pollutants. Cedre will also evaluate crisis response techniques by testing innovative containment and collection technologies, as well as using drones for detection. The results will feed into the technical guides that Cedre will produce during the project for authorities, operators, and volunteers. Finally, the project will conclude with the organization of a new training course specifically dedicated to plastic pellets at Cedre's facilities, intended for some fifteen European experts.

The project consortium is coordinated by IHCantabria (Spain). It involves five other partners from three European countries as well as three associated partners. The project also relies on technical, scientific, or logistical collaborations with key players such as the Bonn Agreement, the OSPAR Commission, SDIS 29, and REMPEC.

More information

Official project website: https://civil-protection-knowledge-network.europa.eu/projects/polaris

Project LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polaris-eu-project/posts/