The increase in plastic wastes found in the marine environment is a global phenomenon that manifests itself on a local scale. Whether they are microbeads washed into the sea from their use in cosmetics, fishing nets snagged on the seabed or even a tragic outcome of a tsunami, the issue of plastics in our shared oceans is rising on environmental, economic and political agendas.
Fishy Filaments™ doesn’t pretend to address all these issues. Our aim is to provide a win-win solution to fishing communities by taking end-of-life fishing gear and plastics caught during normal fishing activities and 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 R&D on recycling larger trawl nets made of polyethylene and polypropylene.
After a successful crowdfund campaign earlier this year helped buy the hardware needed to build a pilot plant, the project is now moving towards commercial production. We are currently working with Mylor Ventures Ltd, a venture catalyst and angel investor network, with the support of the Cornish fishing industry and with business development agencies to bring Fishy Filaments to market.
Shortlisted in the category Best Recycled Product of the Year
