SAUNTON SANDS BATCH 011

This summer, something big washed up on Saunton Beach - and we mean really big.
A giant ghost net, tangled and heavy with ocean debris, was discovered by Jack and the team at Saunton Beach. These “ghost nets” -  lost or abandoned fishing nets - drift through our oceans, continuing to trap marine life and pollute coastlines long after their use. We had recently heard of a group of porpoise who had been spotted nearby in Ilfracombe that morning so we were keen to get out there and get this stuff out of their habitat and out of harms reach.

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Luckily, the Saunton Beach crew knew exactly who to call. Through our Ecotribo WhatsApp group, Jack reached out, and within hours we were on the beach, ready to help recover and repurpose the material.

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These nets had been in the water for a long time. Full of barnacles, sand and debris. Usually this stuff would be too far gone to recycle but our process enables even the most difficult materials to be recycled and transformed into our products with purpose.

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From Ocean Waste to Sustainable Products

At Ecotribo, our mission is to give ocean waste a new life. Once the ghost net was collected, we cleaned, shredded, and processed the material at our new local Devon microfactory. The nets was transformed into something positive - recycled ocean plastic products that inspire conscious living and raise awareness about ocean conservation.

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These once-harmful nets are now part of our eco-friendly range of products. We have made some plastic sheets, a range of beautiful yellow butter knives and have a range benches, and furniture planned - beautiful reminders that sustainability and design can coexist. Each product tells a story of transformation: from ghost gear polluting our seas to purposeful products made right here on the UK coast.

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Why Ghost Nets Matter

Scientists now estimate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch holds a staggering 100,000 tonnes of plastic - up to 16 times more than was once believed. To put that into perspective, that’s the weight of over 740 Boeing 777s drifting across the sea. and pose one of the greatest threats to marine life. By recycling ghost nets into new products that last a lifetime and are fully recyclable, we not only help clean our beaches by getting this stuff out of harm's reach but also close the loop - reducing demand for virgin plastic, (which uses a significant amount of C02) and inspiring a circular economy built on purpose and care for the planet.

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Join the Movement

Every purchase of an Ecotribo product helps fund more clean-ups and ocean recovery missions like this one. Together, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution - one ghost net at a time.