December 6, 2024
TOKYO – With the issue of plastic pollutants in marine areas becoming more severe, discarded fishing nets that would have otherwise polluted oceans are being recycled and turned into daily necessities and other products. Creating attractive products that “sell well” by improving their appearance, functionality and other aspects is key to reducing waste and keeping a business going.
“Fishing nets are made from various materials depending on the type of fish [they are used to catch] and the fishing techniques used. They can be turned into fabrics with different textures depending on how they are woven or what materials are combined with them,” said Koichi Nomura, representative director of Alliance for the Blue, a Tokyo-based general incorporated association working to encourage companies to use fabrics made from recycled fishing nets.
The association collaborates with about 80 companies including apparel companies to produce bags, hats and other products from fishing nets collected in such places as Hokkaido. The products are sold with the same logo, and a part of the sales is used to regenerate seagrass beds.
When the association started its activities in 2020, many companies were cautious about developing products that used recycled fishing nets, but the situation has changed in recent years. “Nowadays, society is more aware of environmental issues, and an increasing number of companies want to develop products using recycled fishing nets. The more products people buy, the more we will be able to reduce discarded fishing nets,” Nomura said.
Moved, a Tokyo-based company operating the travel goods brand Aww, is among the companies that collaborate with Alliance for the Blue. In July, the company started selling vacuum storage travel bags (from ¥3,180) and suitcase covers (from ¥7,990), both of which evoke the ocean with their pleasant light blue color.
Fumikoda, a Tokyo-based company that produces and sells bags for working women, launched a handbag in July called “Megan” with a price tag of ¥44,000. Recycled fishnet material is used for the body of the bag, while the handle is made from an artificial leather using bamboo harvested from abandoned bamboo groves. The handbag is so popular that the company’s production cannot keep up with demand.
“Appearance and user-friendliness are of course important, while many customers also empathize with the story behind the bag, such as why and how it was developed,” said Fumi Koda, president of the company.
Marine product company Tenyomaru in Nagasaki Prefecture has developed a scourer made from discarded fishing nets to catch the Japanese anchovy that is used to make niboshi dried sardines. The product, called “Ami Eco Tawashi,” has become highly popular, with users saying such things as “With the scourer, detergents create a good amount of foam, and the dirt comes off very easily” and “It’s clean and quick to dry.” The company expects to sell nearly 20,000 units this year.
During the Spring/Summer 2025 Paris Fashion Week in September and October, the Japanese fashion brand Anrealage presented clothes using threads made from discarded fishing nets. The threads, called Muron, were developed by the Tokyo-based Morito Apparel Co. and reportedly made only from discarded fishing nets collected in Japan.
According to the Environment Ministry, a total of about 54,000 tons of marine trash was collected from the coasts of Japan in fiscal 2022. The top 10 marine trash items surveyed in 78 locations across Japan were all plastic waste, and fishing nets and such fishing tools as plastic ropes and strings accounted for more than 40% of the total.
Fishing nets are heavy and bulky. They are also not suitable for incineration because they contain salt. For these reasons, it is difficult to dispose of fishing nets. Moreover, when they flow into the ocean, they affect marine creatures and may become microplastics that enter human bodies.
Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation, said, “It is very important to take measures to make people feel connected to the ocean through their daily products so that everyone will think the marine waste issue is their own problem.”