September 29, 2021 Patagonia Turns 105 Tonnes of Fishing Nets into Textiles

Patagonia’s Net Plus collection reduces virgin plastic dependence while cleaning the seas of dangerous fishing nets.

Discarded fishing nets are considered among the most harmful forms of marine plastic pollution, killing or seriously injuring an estimated 650,000 marine animals each year. While some of these fishing nets are lost to accidents, many are dumped in the ocean once they become unuseable as they currently lack any end of life solutions.

Climate emissions and waste reductions

One California-based company, Bureo, is trying to solve this by working together with fishing communities in South America to provide an alternative to virgin plastics. In partnership with Bureo, Patagonia has announced the launch of the first-ever collection of apparel and outerwear made from Bureo’s fully traceable, 100% recycled fishing net fabric called NetPlus. This material will be used across ten different styles for adults and kids in addition to being integrated into the trims, pockets and plackets of many more styles.

This type of material is a first for the Patagonia, and by using it in key outerwear styles and hat brims (65-plus styles), Patagonia was able to divert 105 tons of discarded fishing nets from ending up as trash in the ocean. Beyond preventing waste, the use of this unique post-consumer recycled material within Patagonia’s supply chain reduces the carbon emissions for a key raw material.

Bureo works with more than 50 participating fishing communities in South America (Chile, Argentina and Peru) to provide an incentivized program to collect, clean, sort and recycle discarded fishing nets into Patagonia’s NetPlus material, bringing a positive end-of-use solution to the most harmful form of ocean pollution.

The Downdrift Jacket – A heritage-inspired, insulated, classic mountain jacket that provides warmth, durability and timeless style when the temperatures drop. Made with NetPlus shell, and insulated with Recycled Down.

Photos: Alfred Jurgen Westermeyer/Bureo; Patagonia