Globally, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled; 12% is incinerated, whilst the remaining 79% is either sent to landfill, stockpiled in developing countries, or dumped on land or in the marine environment. The UN expects the amount of plastic in our oceans to triple in the next 20 years. Odyssey Innovation — a long-standing GGGI member — has been implementing solutions to prevent further ocean plastic pollution by offering support to the fishing community, beach clean groups, governmental bodies and eco-warriors alike through various free sustainable incentives.
The Net Regeneration Scheme — now officially endorsed by the GGGI — is one such solution. Having gone through a rigorous review process by a team of global experts, Odyssey Innovation's Net Regeneration Scheme became the third global project to receive endorsement through the GGGI's revised endorsement process. At the time of writing, it remains the only active scheme in the UK offering free net recycling for Polyethylene trawl, Nylon, and other plastics generated and recovered by the fishing industry. Everything that can be recycled in the UK is recycled locally, while specialist recyclers in Europe handle more problematic materials. To date, the scheme supports the ambitions of more than 60 stakeholders — companies, harbours, fisherfolk and charities — in adopting a best practice approach to waste disposal that is fully traceable and award-winning.
Thanks to the support of several grants over the years, Odyssey Innovation has been able to invest in the infrastructure needed to scale operations that were once restricted to a few harbours in Cornwall — including skips, bins, logistics, and staffing. A strategic long-term partnership with Exeter City Council's Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) has broadened our horizons further, providing state-of-the-art premises for processing and storing large volumes of waste, and most recently a part-investment in an industrial shredder to produce marine plastic granulate — a versatile raw material with an exciting range of applications.
Collection points currently include 3 large skips at Exeter City Council, Trevisker Garden Centre and Newlyn, supplemented by 15 large wheelie bins at: Circular & Co (Perranporth), Surfers Against Sewage (St Agnes), Lost Gardens of Heligan, Ilfracombe, Milford Haven, Fishguard, Holyhead, Weymouth (x3), Sutton (x2), Newquay, Mevagissey, Looe and Falmouth — all free of charge for community members.
Read the full GGGI endorsement announcement on the GGGI website.
👉 Want to recycle your fishing gear for free? Find your nearest collection point via our Net Regeneration Scheme page or get in touch.