Waterhaul: Eyewear with a Twist
ROSE BOARDMAN
What’s better than a great looking pair of sunglasses? How about a pair that’s made entirely from recycled material! Started by marine biologist and surfer Harry Dennis, Waterhaul makes their sunglasses from 100% recycled fishing nets. We chatted with Harry to find out why he decided to turn fishing nets into stylish eyewear…
Hey, Harry tell us a bit about you
Hey! I’m a surfer, freediver and ocean lover. Based on the north coast of Cornwall, I split my time between working as a Science and Policy Officer for a charity tackling plastic pollution, and my exciting new venture; Waterhaul.
Why did you name the company Waterhaul?
The name ‘Waterhaul’ originates from Newfoundland cod fisheries; it’s a term used to describe the act of hauling in a seine or trawl net that is absent of any catch. Retrieving empty nets from the ocean is precisely what we aim to achieve. We then redesign the materials into functional, high quality equipment for all adventure and coastal lifestyles.
Tell us about Waterhaul, and why it’s work is important for our oceans
An estimated 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear enter the ocean every year. Abandoned fishing nets [#Ghostgear] are particularly harmful to our oceans due to their tendency to entangle marine life and damage habitats. Nets are constructed from high quality, strong plastics meaning they'll persist in the oceans, causing harm indefinitely.
The impact of discarded fishing nets. Photo: Waterhaul
Waterhaul was created to help tackle this issue. We produce functional equipment, designed for outdoor adventures and coastal lifestyles. Our eyewear range is produced from 100% recycled fishing nets with recyclable mineral glass optics and directly contributes to the removal of plastic from our oceans.
Creating a product out of something so damaging to our oceans is pretty impressive! What inspired you to set up Waterhaul?
Travelling for both work (as a marine biologist) and for play (as a surfer), I noticed that fragments of discarded fishing gear were everywhere! I thought that there must be a way to redesign the system causing this problem and to utilise these pieces of bright green netting washing onto our shores. I’ve also been very interested in finding new ways to communicate environmental issues and felt that these fragments were a way to tell a story around a critical issue. This is where the idea was born, and what lead to over a year of research, recycling (and of course trial and error), to get to the position we’re in now!
The bright green netting used to create Waterhaul products. Photo: Waterhaul
Tell us about your products; do you hope to expand your range?
We’ve kept things simple for our launch, with just two frames styles in a single colour. We do however have future ambitions, and the range will expand to include new styles, colours, and products. We’re looking to products that we use in our outdoor and ocean adventures and redesign them using the ocean plastic resources we currently call ‘waste’.
Turning discarded fishing nets into sunglasses. Waterhaul Product: Fitzroy. Photo: Waterhaul
Tell us about the recycling process. How do you turn old fishing nets into sunglasses?
Under current systems, fisherman are penalised by port waste fees and landfill charges when they dispose of nets responsibly. We’re part of a collaborative scheme intercepting nets from the oceans and working with fishermen to provide an alternative to landfill or abandonment at sea.
We collect nets free of charge, with the reassurance that they’ll be properly handled and recycled. Washed up nets are also collected from Cornish beaches and directly from the ocean, often in collaboration with community groups and other NGO’s, such as BDMLR UK, for recycling.
We collect a range of nets, but the bright green, polypropylene nets are what we use to produce our frames. We work with a specialist facility to sort, wash and shred the nets, which are then extruded into pellets, which can be moulded into the sunglasses frames.
Turning discarded fishing nets into sunglasses. Waterhaul product: Fitzroy. Photo: Waterhaul
We wanted to ensure that every aspect of Waterhaul was environmentally friendly. So we audited every single supply chain we use to eliminate avoidable and single-use plastic packaging. We also sourced the most sustainable lenses on the market, using glass instead of the conventional plastics, and went to every effort to minimise our impact.
Lastly, what do you hope the future will bring for our oceans?
There is now a groundswell of public awareness and support around the marine plastics issue, which is leading to top-down legislative change. The EU recently announced measures to tackle plastic waste from the fishing industry, including more recycling schemes, EPR (extended producer responsibility), and deposit return schemes. The EPR scheme will transfer the end-of-life costs for products back to the large manufacturers, rather than the fishermen trying to make a living. We hope that the model of a circular economy is adopted as an industry standard, and businesses embrace changes to achieve a sustainable future.
Photo: Waterhaul
If you want to get your hands on some amazing products (and help our oceans) check out the Waterhaul website and follow them here @waterhaul_co