Ghost Nets – from waste to wear
Ghost Nets – from waste to wear

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Ghost Nets – from waste to wear

Fishing nets which, as a result of an unfortunate accident, broke off and drifted freely into the sea depths are called "ghost nets". Lost fishing equipment is statistically only 1% of boat equipment.

Seemingly not much, but estimates says that over 640,000 tons of lost equipment are drifting around in the ocean. You need 6,100 blue whales on the other side of the scale to get the balance right. What's worse, modern fishing nets are made of plastic, which makes them incredibly strong and resistant to natural decay. Therefore, they persist in the water for many years and pose a long-term threat to marine ecosystems.

Why are ghost nets so dangerous? Aquatic creatures unknowingly swim into freely drifting nets, from where there is no escape route for them. Predators, tempted by the easy prey of trapped fish, become next victims of the death trap. This cycle repeats itself many times, killing hundreds of marine inhabitants. Ghost nets also pose a threat to divers who fall into a tangle of plastic during expeditions. Their presence is harmful even for the inhabitants of the land. As time goes on, nets break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Small elements degrades into microplastic, which is widely consumed by marine organisms and incorporated into the trophic chain- don’t forget tha we, humans, stand at the end of it. Therefore the materials we pump into the environment return to us as waste or as hard-to-detect microplastics, creating a vicious circle effect.

Exhibition presents the activities of the Ghost Diving Poland Association, which, together with the Healthy Seas organization, cleans up the seas and oceans from abandoned ghost nets with the help of volunteer divers. We would like to draw attention to the life cycle of the network – waste extracted from the sea cannot simply change the place of disposal. In line with the idea of a circular economy, it must be recycled and become an useful resource.
Fabric created from lost nets – econyl – is perfect for the production of functional clothing, car rugs, carpets, bathing suits or toys. See, touch and feel this material at every stage of its journey from waste to useful item.

The exhibition was created in cooperation with the Experyment Science Center and the Ghost Diving foundation.

 

#bio#environment#recycling#water#microplastic#responsibly#pollution#upcycling#zerowaste#future#wellbeing#changes#educationalexhibition#sea#balticsea#ecology

Closing the cycle – from waste to wear

a box showing the cycle of net's life

Healthy Seas

Look at the circle of net’s life closed in the box.

At first, ghost nets are transformed into granules. Then they are transformed into the yarn, which is starting point to many creative projects.

#recycling#circulareconomy#water#pollution#reuse#zerowaste#safety#human#wellbeing#knowledge#sea#balticsea#ecology

Reel

reel of regenerated ECONYL® nylon

Agafil

Thanks to created by Aquafil nylon regeneration system, it can be transformed and reformed endlessly.

That’s why its brilliant resource for many projects and everyday objects.

#newmaterials#recycling#lesswaste#circulareconomy#microplastic#secondlife#reuse#zerowaste#ecology

Healthy Seas Socks

women's, child's and men's socks

Healthy Seas Socks

Healthy Seas Socks are in 1/3 produced from ECONYL®, which is durable nylon regenerated from abandoned fishing gear.

Ghost nets are not only dangerous to fish, but also posing a threat to other aquatic animals and destroy their habitats.

#newmaterials#recycling#lesswaste#circulareconomy#microplastic#secondlife#fashion#zerowaste

Ghost bags

upcycled fruit bags made of ghost nets

Agnieszka Zagórska Ghost Diving

I seæ

2022

Upcycled shopping bags are in line with the circular economy . Thanks to using very strong material such as fishing nets, they remain durable and resistant. That makes them usable for years, which is crucial to produce less amount of waste.

#recycling#lesswaste#microplastic#secondlife#reuse#zerowaste#sea#balticsea#ecology

Ghost mermaid

decoration from ghost nets

Agnieszka Zagórska Ghost Diving

I seæ

2022

Ghost nets shouldn’t litter our seas and oceans.

However, they can return there metaphorically, for example as Baltic mermaid made of recycled material.

#recycling#lesswaste#secondlife#reuse#zerowaste#sea#balticsea#ecology

Seaside souvenir

decoration made of wood and ghost nets

Agnieszka Zagórska Ghost Diving

I seæ

2022

Plastic fish is element of  fishermen equipment, which is, among ghost nets, commonly fished of the sea by divers.

It should not be forgotten that they also are a source of plastic pollution of the seas and oceans.

#recycling#water#secondlife#reuse#zerowaste#balticsea#ecology

Floor

folder of carpet samples made with ECONYL® yarn

Associated Weavers Europe

Everyday items made of ECONYL® yarn are designed to last for years.

Using planet's resources responsibly, including the sea, is primarily about remodeling our consumer habits and supporting development of environmentally and climate-responsible creators, designers and companies.

#recycling#water#cleanwater#secondlife#reuse#zerowaste#sea#balticsea

Accessories

sachet, bracelets

Bracenet

A piece of old net can be used not only to produce items that pose purely utility value.

Sachets, pendants, key rings and bracelets require design creativity and are eye-catching trinkets. In addition, there is an important and interesting background story to the items showed on the exhibition.

#recycling#lesswaste#secondlife#reuse#zerowaste#balticsea#ecology

Caught in the net

clothes made of regenerated ECONYL® nylon

różni producenci

One of the most common use of ECONYL® is to design and create responsible fashion.

According to estimates, we are buying 80 billions clothes every year! It’s almost 60% more than in 2000. Our relentless appetite for textiles is forcing us to look for other solutions for clothing industry. Using recycled material on wide scale may be the answer to our problems.

#recycling#lesswaste#reuse#fashion#zerowaste#slowfashion#sea#ecology