Cleaning up Brighton's littered beaches
Recycling company, ReWorked (www.reworked.com) have happily begun a collaborative project to help clean up the fishing & angler waste littering Brighton's beach fronts. The Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme (https://www.anglers-nlrs.co.uk/) is a national scheme to enable recycling fishing line rather than sending it to landfill. Founded by Local Independent Sea Anglers but open to the benefit of the public.
The scheme was developed by a community of fishermen who enjoy fishing and respect the natural environment that provides for them. Dumped fishing gear is the biggest polluter of our ocean & waterways, so the need is clear.
Often this waste is degraded by the sea, dirty and tangled in with hooks & other debris. This combination makes it extremely difficult to recycle using traditional methods. Many beach cleaning volunteer groups help to rid the beaches of plastic litter, but it so very often goes to landfill.
ReWorked's innovative recycling processes allow them to take this collected waste by the tonne & recycle it, hooks and all! The ocean-waste goes on to become recycled plastic boards. Some of the panels even become rod stands, used by fishermen themselves involved in the scheme.
The Pipe Bin Project (https://www.anglers-nlrs.co.uk/product-page/anlrs-pipe-bin) has so far installed drop off points at 3 locations; Albion Groyne, Norfolk Groyne & D5 Hove Lawns. The #LeaveNoTraceBrighton (https://leavenotracebrighton.org/) team have been an incredible help in providing volunteers to service the bins regularly. The project amazingly is also funded by Brighton & Hove council - which in itself is excellent news, that local councils are supporting such recycling initiatives.
Since their installation on December 20th the scheme has collected 164kgs of fishing waste! Including nets, spools, line, hooks etc. Steve Carrie, ReWorked Director, a keen fisherman himself, said "We cannot turn a blind eye any longer to the environmental damage fishing is having on ocean ecosystems. The damage waste nets, hooks & plastic debris is having is catastrophic. As people passionate about fishing, we should care the most! For me, this project comes from the heart, for the greater good of our future".