Daiwa Sustainability Project: What Happens To Your Recycled Fishing Line

Fishing, for many, is more than just a hobby. It's a way of life. However, like most activities, it leaves an environmental footprint. One significant aspect of this impact is discarded fishing line, which often end up in our waters, harming marine life and ecosystems. This is the core reason behind Daiwa's Sustainability Project which focuses on giving anglers a way to safely recycle their fishing line. We would like to share with anglers the process of recycling the fishing line and where it ends up. 

The Recycling Process

Daiwa is working with TerraCycle®, a global pioneer in recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle waste streams. TerraCycle's approach is different from local curbside recycling – it focuses on materials that are usually not  accepted by council recycling services. Hard-to-recycle rubbish typically costs more to collect and process than the value of the recycled raw materials, so local councils won’t accept it. 

Kickstarting a TerraCycle recycling program begins with TerraCycle’s research and development department analysing materials and determining the best way to recycle different waste streams. This includes figuring out methods for breaking down the waste, separating it into its core components, and recycling those materials for new applications.

TerraCycle also conducts a regulatory review to ensure waste can be safely collected, shipped, and stored in each market before recycling in line with local, regional, and national regulations. Practical recyclability factors, such as contamination levels and equipment limitations, are also taken into account to ensure there is a viable supply chain for recycling all accepted waste.

Receipt & Check-In

TerraCycle currently operates in 21 countries. Waste shipments are sent to one of TerraCycle's Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), located in the same country where the waste originates. When a shipment arrives at an MRF, it's scanned to record shipment information, date, weight, and material type.

Sortation & Aggregation

Once at the MRF, materials are sorted based on their characteristics and composition using various sorting technologies, from manual sorting to advanced optical, gravity-based, and other systems. TerraCycle guarantees to recycle all accepted waste they collect, making every effort to recycle non-compliant materials through other TerraCycle programs when possible.

Cleaning & Processing

After sorting, different material types are cleaned and sent to third-party partners for processing into usable forms. For example, metals and aluminum are shredded and smelted into metal sheeting, ingots, or bar stock. Glass is crushed and melted into new glass products or construction materials. Plastics are size-reduced, melted, and reformatted into pellets, flakes, or powder to be used in various manufacturing applications.

What Happens To The Recycled Material?

Once TerraCycle transforms waste into raw materials, they're sold to manufacturers , which produce a wide range of end products. This can  include outdoor furniture, plastic shipping pallets, watering cans, storage containers, construction tubes, flooring tiles, playground surface covers, and athletic fields, among others.

TerraCycle maintains strict control over material movement throughout the recycling process, enabling them to track and confirm where materials are sent and why.

Certifications, Awards, and Impact

TerraCycle, a pioneer in recycling solutions, has a commendable track record in Australia. They've been operating in the country since 2013. Over the years, they've made a substantial impact, recycling approximately 204,886kg of rubbish in 2022 alone.

TerraCycle's excellence in sustainable practices has not gone unnoticed. They've secured a Bronze placement from EcoVadis, a trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, for their comprehensive CSR management system. Additionally, Bureau Veritas – a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification services – has audited and granted certification to TerraCycle's operations in the United States for compliance with the Recycled Claims Standard, with plans to expand this certification to Australia in the near future.

Learn more about TerraCycle’s innovative recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle rubbish.