Bureo’s NetPlus recycling program is helping to solve plastic pollution by focusing on collecting old fishing nets before they have the opportunity to enter the ocean as plastic pollution.
About Bureo’s Fishing Net Recycling Program
Fishing nets have been identified as one of the most harmful forms of ocean plastic pollution. Bureo’s programs provide a tangible solution to prevent this harmful material from entering our oceans. They currently collect fishing nets with assistance from communities in South America, including in Chile, Peru, and Argentina.
Read about how Bureo is impacting a local community in Chile in this article by Patagonia: Cleaning up Chile’s Coast, which spotlights Caco, the man managing Bureo’s operation in Chile.
Here are definitions for some of the specific terminology used to explain this program.
– Supply chain: A system of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from a supplier to the customer.
– Pellets: The majority of plastic items we use start out as small plastic pieces that look like pellets. These are known as Pre-Production Resin Pellets. You may have also heard of these referred to as nurdles.
– Discarded fishing net: A fishing net that has entered the marine environment after it has been used. This generally happens by fishers out at sea.
– End of life: This is when an item can no longer be used for what it was designed for.
Learn more about how Bureo’s Net Plus program works in the video below and on Bureo’s website.
Take the quiz!
Test what you learned about this plastic pollution reduction strategy.
Teachers: Need an exit ticket for your classroom?
Solution Spotlight – A Net Plus – Community-based Fishing Net Recycling QUIZ – Google Doc
Discussion and Journaling Ideas
- Do you live in a fishing community? Are there programs in place to collect old fishing gear? Who could you talk with to prevent fishing gear from being discarded or lost in the environment?
- How does Bureo’s program support the fishing communities in South America?
This resource was created in collaboration with Bureo.
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