How one company is recycling marine plastics
Based in Cornwall, Fishy Filaments started with a Crowdfunding
campaign with the aim to make the UK fishery more
sustainable and take used fishing nets to transform them into
3D printer filament. The raw materials can normally be acquired at
zero cost where fishers currently have to dispose of the nets, and
there is potential for international expansion.
The aim is to provide a win-win solution to fishing communities
by taking end-of-life fishing gear and some of the plastics caught
during normal fishing activities, then transforming them into
commercially viable products that have the potential for a
multitude of uses.
Our first product will be a recycled nylon filament for use in
3D printing. Unlike established nylon recycling routes our solution
uses simple mechanical and thermal processes that can be achieved
at a local scale and with no harsh chemicals added. Our next
project is to complete on-going R&D on recycling larger trawl
nets made of polyethylene and polypropylene.
What a great idea!!
For more information see the Fishy Filament website