Newlyn definitely stole a match on Penzance when it comes to re-cycling tons of plastic - the fleet have been responsible for recycling mono-filament nylon fishing gear for several years. Now a start-up company called FishyFilaments aim to go into production by turning old fishing nets into the nylon filament needed for 3D printers!
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| Mono-filament gill net has been recycled for years by Newlyn fishermen. |
The man behind a company that aims to turn broken fishing nets into everything plastic and save the environment in the process is ready to build a new factory in Cornwall. Ian Falconer is looking to turn the nylon fishing nets into the raw material that will become fins for surfboards, parts for cars, shoes and even clothes for the fashion industry.
The former Camborne School of Mines student is using his skills and know-how from the mining industry to transform the way fishing fleets in Cornwall dispose of and recycle nets at the end of their useful life by turning them into raw material for the fast-growing 3D printing industry. The former mining industry expert has created a machine and processes to turn fishing nets into spools of the polymer filaments needed in 3D printers.
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, microfibres released from clothes when washed 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 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.
We are currently working with Mylor Ventures Ltd, a venture catalyst & angel investor network, and with the support of the Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners to establish our first production unit at Newlyn in Cornwall, UK.
A successful fund raising on Crowdcube has brought in 407 new investors whose funds will take Fishy Filaments into production.
The post of Production Manager has now become available as the company heads towards full-scale filament production.
The post of Production Manager has now become available as the company heads towards full-scale filament production.