Work to move discarded fishing gear onto a pier is under way in the western port city of Boryeong on July 2, 2020. The waste was retrieved by local fishermen from under seas off the port in a campaign to clean the seas. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean builder SK ecoplant Co. said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with local social venture NETSPA and non-governmental organization SEAM Center to support and cooperate for the recycling of discarded fishing nets.
The company plans to provide financial support to NETSPA every year to support the latter’s establishment of a deserted fishing net collection and transport system.
NETSPA will be responsible for carrying out the waste fishing net recycling project, while SEAM Center will help establish a network needed for the NETSPA project.
About 44,000 tons of fishing nets remain abandoned in South Korea as the collection system is not fully established and the development of recycling technology is slow.
SK ecoplant noted that the recycling of waste fishing nets can provide components for renewable nylon, thereby having the effect of cutting carbon emissions by 3.68 kilograms per 1 kilogram of discarded fishing nets, adding that it would contribute to reducing carbon emissions by up to 15,000 tons per year from next year.
Renewable nylon will be used for long fibers for clothes or automobile and electronic components.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
