Waterhaul
Waterhaul is a socio-economic enterprise that recycles abandoned fishing gear on the Cornish coast and produces extremely sustainable beach gear from the recycled plastic.
It all began when Waterhaul founder Harry Dennis was frustrated by the ghost nets littering beaches around the world while working as a marine scientist. Lost fishing gear poses a double threat to the environment. Firstly, thousands of marine creatures, especially waterfowl, become entangled in them and die an agonising death.
The second danger comes from the plastic of the nets themselves. Even if it is extremely durable plastic, it also decomposes into microplastics over time, pollutes the environment and ultimately ends up in the food chain.
However, Dennis also saw an opportunity in the extreme durability of the plastic, which makes it so dangerous for the environment. With the help of scientist friends, he began researching how this valuable resource could be recycled and used for long-lasting products.
Finally, in 2018, Waterhaul launched the first sunglasses made from recycled fishing gear. They are so convinced of the durability of the frame that every pair of sunglasses still comes with a lifetime guarantee. Broken or defective frames can be returned for repair free of charge for life!
Everything in the production process is organised regionally. The nets are collected from the vast Cornish coastline or salvaged by divers and then sorted, shredded and processed into pellets in local facilities.
For the latest product, which is also available in our REBEL shop, they teamed up with C-Monsta: an extremely clever wetsuit hanger on which wetsuits, surf shoes and gloves can not only be stored, but also organized so that they are quickly ready for the next surfing session.
Waterhaul also developed a tracability system, with that you can track exactly where the fishing gear that went into your product was recovered from.
But Waterhaul is not just a commercial enterprise, it also sees itself as a social project. ‘We won't just focus on the problems that we face but also the solutions through interactive demonstrations of how the plastic can be recycled into new products.’
Waterhaul not only offers waste collection equipment made from recycled fishing nets, but also organizes workshops in schools, community groups and companies. ‘Our workshops will bring a mini version of our real life recycling process into your school or community. Our specialist hand-operated shredder and injection moulder will teach our waste-into-resource concept by providing an interactive experience enabling participants to transform their beach-clean plastic into new forms and products themselves.’
We are proud to welcome such a sustainable and socially committed project to our network and hope that we can expand our cooperation across borders.
