BLUEING THE BLACK SEA
Project STREAM
Source-Based Trash Reduction through Effective Action for the Marine Environment
Duration: 18 months, 2026- 2028
Contact Person: Parshva Mehta
Client: UNOPS, World Bank
Location: Türkiye
The Challege
A semi-enclosed sea that keeps what it’s given.
The Black Sea exchanges little water with the oceans, so plastic accumulates, fragmenting into microplastics along coasts, in sediments and in food webs.
Türkiye is estimated to contribute 70,000–190,000 tonnes of plastic to the sea each year, much of it carried by small rivers and drains from dense cities like Istanbul. Most current efforts clean up downstream. STREAM tackles it at the source.
40M
litter items estimated in the Black Sea, 83% of them plastic
33%
of Türkiye’s plastic waste is uncollected or openly dumped
$95M +
yearly economic cost of plastic pollution in Türkiye
Only 6%
of plastic waste in Türkiye is recycled
Blueing The Black Sea Eco-innovation Challenge
The Project STREAM is one of the winning projects from the BBSEA Eco-Innovation challenge. The Blueing the Black Sea (BBSEA) program is a multi-stakeholder partnership that brings together Black Sea countries, international organisations, and regional experts.
The Challenge identifies, supports, and scales eco-innovative solutions that prevent or reduce pollution in the Black Sea. Through funding, technical assistance, and international acceleration support, EIC helps transform promising ideas into real-world impact.
As part of the STREAM project & BBSEA program, Noria received grant funding and technical support to implement our solutions in Türkiye.
The CANALCLEANER
Stopping plastic pollution. Powered by nature.
The CanalCleaner is a passive litter collection system that captures floating plastic and debris in canals, rivers and harbours. Using natural water currents, it continuously collects waste without electricity or powered moving parts. Its modular design allows easy installation and adaptation to local conditions.
How it works
1. Floating booms:
Guide floating litter towards the CanalCleaner using natural water currents.
2. One-way entrance:
Angled panels allow litter to enter while preventing it from drifting back out.
3. Collection container:
A 3,360-litre container stores captured litter until removal by crane, boat or manually.
4. Fish-friendly design:
Water and aquatic life can pass beneath the floating barriers, minimising disturbance to the ecosystem.
CanalCleaner is installed next to Amsterdam Central Station and is fully operated by the Municipality of Amsterdam.
Typical catch from the CanalCleaner, collected regularly & independently by local workers. Litter collection by manual means or using a crane.
18 Month PLAN
Research, Remove & Expand
A
M1-M18
Project Management
Coordination, financial management, reporting and risk monitoring throughout.
B
M1-M6
Research & Baseline
Field visits, permits, hydrological analysis, GPS tracking and AI-camera monitoring to map litter routes and pick the best location.
C
M4-M18
Demonstration
Manufacture, transport and install the CanalCleaner, then operate it with ongoing litter analysis.
D
M6-M18
Capacity Building
Training local operators and building capcity to expanding in the Black Sea Region.
This project is supported through the Blueing the Black Sea Regional Programme, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on behalf of the World Bank (WB).
Technologies Part of the STREAM Project
How Noria Tackles The Plastic Pollution Problem ?
