Fishy Filaments

Fishy Filaments provides a circular economy solution by recycling end-of-life fishing nets into high-value engineering materials. The company was founded in 2016 by Ian Falconer, whose background in mining, mineral processing, and large-scale material technologies informed the company's direction. Initially exploring metal powders for 3D printing, Falconer pivoted to address the pressing issue of plastic waste from fishing nets in his home of Cornwall, incorporating the company in July 2017 after a year of process development and an initial crowdfunding campaign.

The core of the business is a proprietary, patent-pending recycling technology that is compact enough to fit in a 40-foot container and can be operated at a harbour-side scale. This chemical-free process requires only water and power to transform discarded nylon gillnets—a costly disposal liability for fishing fleets—into a clean, high-quality raw material. This localised model aims to create a new income stream for fishing communities and significantly reduces the carbon footprint and logistical costs associated with shipping waste overseas for processing. The company operates on a blended scale-out/scale-up model, intending to sell these containerised recycling plants to NGOs, local governments, and entrepreneurs globally, building a network of coastal production centres.

Fishy Filaments generates revenue by selling its recycled materials directly to a range of clients, from global brands like Philips Lighting to SMEs and has conducted trials with companies such as L'Oréal, Prada, Ford, and BMW. The product lineup includes pellets for injection moulding and filaments for 3D printing. Its first filament product, Porthcurno, is a 100% recycled PA6 nylon sourced from the Cornish hake fishery, delivering a 97-98% reduction in CO2-equivalent emissions compared to virgin nylon. A second product line, 0rCA®, is an engineering-grade material blending the recycled marine nylon with recycled carbon fibre, suitable for demanding applications in mobility and industrial tooling. The company is also developing the world's first 100% recycled nylon powder for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing.

Keywords: recycled fishing nets, 3D printing filament, circular economy, marine plastic pollution, nylon recycling, PA6 filament, sustainable manufacturing, harbour-side recycling, advanced materials, Ian Falconer, injection moulding pellets, carbon fibre filament, SLS powder, cleantech, material science, waste valorization, sustainable supply chain, Cornish innovation, engineering materials, additive manufacturing materials, Porthcurno, 0rCA