There is no ocean plastic recycling facility in the U.K. Harbours or NGOs that recycle fishing gear send it abroad to either Aquifil in Solvenia or Plastix Global in Denmark. Aquifil only take nylon nets, which are chemically recycled into Econyl yarn [16] and can used to make swimwear, running shoes and carpets, for example. Plastix recycle a range of ocean plastic including, fishing nets, trawls and rigid plastics into quality recycled plastic material (rPM) also called pellets [11], which have been used to create finished goods including, but not limited to, compost bins, recycling crates, outdoor furniture, kayaks and footwear. Collection is free for waste consignments over 30 tonnes. This system is not suitable for small harbours with insufficient storage space to stock pile large quantities of nets. Environmentally conscious company Odyssey Innovation based in South West England have partnered with Plastix to make kayaks out of recycled ocean plastic. Odyssey collect end-of-life gear from Newquay Harbour and St Ives Harbour, and a centralised drop off point for small harbours, as well as ocean plastic from beach cleans to ship to Denmark.
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