Fishing nets that become bags and rugs

Fishing nets represent one of the most polluting and dangerous marine wastes, and are often referred to by the technical term “ghost nets” (literally: invisible nets), due to the fact that they almost always float underwater and cannot be seen. The extreme danger of this waste comes from the fact that fishing nets are made with  synthetic materials including nylon, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or polypropylene, that they do not degrade easily at sea. They can remain in the water even for hundreds of years, slowly breaking down into deadly microplastics. But it is precisely the very resistant characteristics of the base material that make fishing nets a waste product widely used by small and medium-sized Italian companies to produce T-shirts, swimwear, sportswear, and even bags, backpacks, and accessories. Not to mention furnishings, such as lamps, and even skateboards. 

Carvico's eco-sustainable fabrics

Carvico, an Italian company in the province of Bergamo, specialized in the production of technical fabrics, uses disused fishing nets (along with other waste materials such as carpet fluff and industrial plastic) to contribute to the production of the yarn. ECONYL®, a completely regenerated and infinitely recyclable nylon. This yarn is used to create stretchy and durable fabrics, which are in turn used to produce:

• Swimwear
• Sportswear and athleisure
• Technical clothing for cycling, running, and triathlon

Aquafil carpets and rugs

The group too Aquafil, whose headquarters are in Arco, in the province of Trento, focuses on the recovery of disused fishing nets to arrive, through the regeneration carried out in a plant in Slovenia, at theECONYL®. The nylon thread obtained from fishing nets is transformed into a real catalogue of products: from carpets and rugs for the home to t-shirts, socks, underwear, and swimwear.

Risacca bags and backpacks

Three young people from Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, have managed to create, with the brand Backwash, a project to transform the remains of fishing nets, which particularly pollute the sea in that area, into bags, backpacks, and various accessories.

Bureo sunglasses

Another eco-friendly initiative that fights marine pollution – discarded fishing nets make up 10% of marine plastic waste, and changing them 15 to 20 times a year unfortunately generates a serious environmental impact – is that of the Chilean company bureo, which transforms them into functional products, such as skateboard e sunglasses.

NETTA designer furnishings

Read also:

• Strong Sea Life: the project that recovers fishing nets and transforms them into bags and bench material.
• On the island of Favignana, two young designers are designing fishing nets made from recycled plastic.
• Ogyre: The platform that pays fishermen to recover plastic from the sea.