This comprises of mainly nets from the aquaculture and fishing industries and, in a smaller quantity, nets recovered through the Healthy Seas foundation. 

The purpose of the initiative is not only to clean the oceans and seas of marine litter such as derelict fishnets responsible for the needless death of marine animals but also to prevent them from ending up in the seas and raise public awareness.

The fishing nets recovered in collection points from the sea bed by volunteer divers are first cleaned and sorted and then, those suitable for recycling (made of Nylon 6 and not too ruined), sent to Aquafil’s Slovenian regeneration plant. Not all the marine litter collected and rescued by the divers can be regenerated into brand new ECONYL® nylon. Indeed, some stuff retrieved during diving activities are made out of different materials. As we deal with Nylon 6 waste only, the rest of the collected trash is sent to different streams or used to produce energy.

Each year in the U.S., 4 billion pounds of carpet is discarded in landfills.

Aquafil Group is committed to help reduce this waste by implementing a closed-loop supply chain where carpets are recycled.

Aquafil has two carpet recycling facilities — in Phoenix and Woodland, CA — that can each process up to 36 million pounds of carpet annually and break old carpets down into three main components: polypropylene (PP), Nylon 6 and calcium carbonate. Special Take Back Projects

1. Nylon 6 is sent to the ECONYL® Regeneration Process in Slovenia with other waste, like reclaimed fishing nets or textile scraps, to make ECONYL® nylon for infinite uses.

2. Polypropylene (mainly used for the backing of carpets) goes into injection-molding production.

3. Calcium carbonate (used to stabilize the carpet) goes into road construction and concrete.

Pre-consumer waste comes from industrial processes such as plastic components, industrial waste and fabric scraps.

An international network structured around recovering materials at end of use, based on partnerships with institutions, organisations, private and public associations and companies. This system allows Aquafil to collect quantities of waste for regeneration into ECONYL® yarn. Examples of this effort are represented by special take back projects in collaboration with different brands such as Napapijri, Speedo and Gucci.