SOLUTION / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
Nofir creates value from marine waste
- Published December 15, 2022; updated September 21, 2026; estimated reading time 2 minutes. Categories: Aquaculture and fisheries; Circular economy.
- Nofir organises collection and logistics for discarded fishing and aquaculture nets and ropes from remote areas. Its network dismantles materials so recyclable components can be processed separately, and aims to recover as much of each net or rope as possible instead of collecting only high-value fractions. Some purse nets weigh up to 50 tonnes and need specialised handling.
- The page describes discarded nets as a serious marine-litter problem: they may be incinerated, landfilled or dumped in nature, where ghost nets continue trapping and killing fish and marine mammals. Nofir reports providing 7,000 tonnes of raw material annually to recyclers. Aquafil in Slovenia turns the material into ECONYL® yarn for clothing, textiles and carpets. Nofir had collected over 35,000 tonnes during 2008–2018 and material from five continents by the end of 2018.
- The article says ECONYL® can be recycled repeatedly without degradation, reducing virgin-plastic and petroleum demand and associated carbon emissions. It cites a UN estimate that 600,000–800,000 tonnes of lost fishing gear enter the oceans each year. The SDG descriptions state that each kilogram recycled through Nofir saves 1.7 kg of oil and 3.6 kg CO₂-equivalent compared with new production, and that 23,500 tonnes of discarded equipment have been kept from landfills or the sea. The initiative began as a national project in 2008 and is pursuing further sustainable expansion. SDGs 12 and 14 shown.
- Contact: Heidi Ruud, Sustainability Manager, heidi@nofir.no; phone reveal control collapsed. Company: NOFIR AS, Sjøgata 21, 8006 Bodø, Norway; nofir.no/.