Crab fishing lines are one of the most overlooked sources of marine plastic waste. Thousands of kilometres of monofilament and braided line are used by the UK's crab fishing industry every year — and when they reach the end of their working life, most have historically ended up in landfill or, worse, back in the sea. Odyssey Innovation's Net Regeneration Scheme offers a better option: free collection and full recycling into marine plastic granulate.
From Line to Granulate: The Process
Collected crab fishing lines are brought to our processing facility where they're fed through the Muncher Cruncher — our industrial shredder at Exeter City Council's MRF. The shredding process breaks the lines down into a consistent plastic granulate that can be used as a raw material for manufacturing new products. It's a fully circular process: fishing waste in, usable material out.
Watch It Happen
Collecting and recycling crab fishing lines:
The resulting crab line granulate:
Munch Crunch Episode 1 — Crab Fishing Lines:
Why It Matters
Crab fishing lines are particularly problematic in the marine environment — thin, lightweight, and near-invisible underwater, they entangle seabirds, marine mammals, and fish long after they've been lost or discarded. By intercepting these lines before they reach the sea and converting them into a usable material, we're preventing pollution at source and creating value from what was previously considered waste.
👉 Are you a crab fisherman or harbour operator? Find out how to join the Net Regeneration Scheme for free, or get in touch to arrange a collection.