South American partnership will boost access to used nylon for Aquafil
Yarn manufacturer Aquafil has established a new partnership in South America to expand its supply of used nylon 6, from which it will make its Econyl product. Finished product manufacturers and brands use Econyl in swimwear, clothing, footwear and other applications.
The new agreement is with Chile’s salmon promotions organisation, Salmón de Chile, and award-winning cleantech organisation Atando Cabos. They will work together to collect and recycle used fishing nets to remove waste from the oceans and give new life to the nylon the nets are made from.
Campaign group the World Wildlife Fund has said farmed salmon is one of the fastest growing areas of food production. Southern Chile currently supplies almost 33% of all the farmed salmon in the world.
Aquafil chief executive, Giulio Bonazzi, has said the group will invest €10 million in the project and create around 30 jobs. He said the project could extend to collecting fishing nets from other parts of South America too.
