Abandonment of fishing nets in seas and oceans is one of the significant, long-term environmental problems. In response to this challenge, the REDES4VALUE project focuses on the recovery and recycling of end-of-life nets, converting them into new, sustainable, high value-added products. This includes in particular recycled polyamides, films for packaging and agricultural covers, components for the automotive sector and large-format parts manufactured by additive technologies. These solutions are being developed by combining innovative mechanical and chemical recycling processes with reactive extrusion technologies, while life cycle and industrial feasibility assessments are carried out in parallel.
Project scope and consortium partners
The REDES4VALUE initiative is funded by the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) with support from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) resources. The project is being implemented by a consortium formed by AIMPLAS, the plastics technology centre, UBE, ZIKNES and the University of Valencia. The partners share the objective of closing the life cycle of polyamides and reducing marine pollution by developing solutions ready for industrial deployment.
Although a large proportion of fishing nets is manufactured from polyethylene or polypropylene, the project focuses on polyamide nets. This material has considerable potential for chemical recycling. The molecular structure of polyamides enables the recovery of monomers such as caprolactam, which allows the production of new polyamides with properties that are practically equivalent to those of virgin materials.
Chemical recycling of polyamide fishing nets
Within the project, work is underway to optimise the conditions for depolymerising polyamide nets and recovering monomers with high purity. According to Nairim Torrealba, a researcher in chemical recycling at AIMPLAS, some laboratory streams are achieving monomer purity levels above 95%, while at pilot scale the purity exceeds 80%. This makes it possible to repolymerise and obtain new polyamides with quality equivalent to virgin material.
The recycled polyamides are intended for use in sectors such as packaging, agriculture, automotive and 3D printing. UBE is currently analysing the commercialisation potential of these materials, while ZIKNES is adapting its equipment to validate large-format parts produced additively. Initial applications include packaging films, agricultural covers, automotive components and large-scale 3D demonstrators.
"These materials have immediate industrial applications and a clear environmental advantage over conventional polyamides. These solutions not only reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, but also open up new opportunities for industry in terms of sustainability and the circular economy," Torrealba emphasises.
Processing technologies and feedstock quality challenges
The REDES4VALUE project is developing and integrating a number of processes, including hydrothermal depolymerisation, ionic liquid-assisted solvolysis and reactive extrusion. Comprehensive life cycle assessment and feasibility studies are being carried out in parallel. One of the main challenges is the processing of highly degraded nets with a high content of impurities, but the results obtained so far are described as very promising.
An important element of the project is to ensure stable supplies of fishing net waste with appropriate parameters for research and validation. In this area, cooperation with the Sea2See brand plays a key role. Since 2019 it has been supplying nets recovered in Ghana. This collaboration has made it possible to structure the project's circular value chain, starting from a clearly defined waste stream.
"Without this source of material, it would not be possible to carry out the work on the current scale. The nets arriving from Ghana are essential for validating the processes and obtaining results that reflect real conditions," Torrealba notes.
Partner roles and next steps
The division of tasks within the consortium assumes that AIMPLAS is responsible for chemical recycling activities, UBE for process scaling and repolymerisation, ZIKNES for validation of 3D printing technologies for large parts, and the MATS group at the University of Valencia (MATS-UV) for studies on solvolysis and reaction kinetics.
"Our goal is to consolidate a chemical recycling line that can be applied to complex waste streams and to demonstrate that it is a real and necessary solution," Torrealba concludes.
The initiative is funded by the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) under the Strategic Cooperation Projects programme in the 2024 call, with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Focusing activities on the recycling of polyamides from abandoned fishing nets is intended to help reduce marine pollution and increase the availability of secondary raw materials for industries using polyamides.
