Hello! I’m Kimura from the ApparelX Sustainable Team. 

As “sustainable materials” are rapidly spreading in the apparel industry, are you familiar with apparel materials recycled from discarded fishing nets? 

This time, we’ll introduce the features and appeal of MORITO’s “fishing net recycled nylon,” a sustainable trim material that has been steadily gaining recognition!  

Turning marine waste into valuable materials — Morito’s fishing net recycling system

Marine plastic is a global problem. Among it, discarded fishing nets are considered to have a serious environmental impact because of their heavy weight and high durability. Morito has focused on this issue and, together with partner companies, collected discarded fishing nets washed and removed foreign matter crushed them and converted them into recycled resin manufactured trims through injection molding establishing this end-to-end process. They are finished to a quality that is sustainable yet practical for apparel use. 

Why are “discarded fishing nets” a problem?
 Marine plastic is a global issue — especially nylon-based materials such as fishing nets and fishing gear, which tend to remain in the ocean and are said to have long-term harmful effects.
If properly recycled, they can potentially achieve quality close to virgin nylon. Against this backdrop, the scheme to recycle discarded fishing nets into resources is becoming a new channel that shifts the conventional approach from “throwing away” to “reusing.”

Recommended points of Morito’s fishing net nylon 

1. Clear raw material traceability 

Discarded fishing nets are mainly collected at fishing ports in Japan (such as the Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku areas), and the collected nets are sent to partnered domestic recycling plants, where they undergo washing, crushing, and conversion into recycled raw materials.

After that, the recycled nylon pellets are injection-molded at Morito’s molding bases in Japan and overseas (Japan, China, Southeast Asia, etc.), and produced as trims such as buttons, stoppers, and buckles. 

Where the fishing nets were collected, how they were turned into resin, and in which process they were turned into products. Morito has high supply chain transparency and can clearly disclose which process was carried out where, making it easy to explain the flow from “fishing net → recycled raw material → molding → product,” which is a major strength.

2. Physical properties equivalent to regular nylon

Recycled resin is generally said to be prone to unstable strength, but Morito’s fishing net recycled nylon has strength durability and finish after molding that are extremely stable, with no inferiority to existing trims. 

3. Little color variation in molded products

Normally, injection-molded trims tend to show color unevenness specific to recycled materials, but Morito stands out for its high color uniformity. When lined up, the beauty of the product is not compromised.

4. A wide lineup of apparel trims 

A key point of Morito’s fishing net recycling series is that it has been turned into materials that are actually easy to use. 

Products that work well in sets, such as cord stoppers, cord ends, buckles, and D rings, are also attractive.

At the time of the launch a few years ago, color variations included dyeable white and a pale green that evoked fishing nets, but currently most trims are available only in black, so please note that.

Here are a few products featured on ApparelX.

They are highly compatible with lifestyle apparel, outdoor wear, and casual wear, and are attractive items adopted throughout the year.

CR-300 Fishing net recycled nylon 4-hole button

A versatile 4-hole button with a rim. Available sizes are 18mm 20mm 23mm.

It’s a basic black nylon button, so it seems like an easy item to introduce.

CR-271 Fishing net recycled nylon cord stopper

Summary

Morito’s fishing net recycled nylon materials are becoming a new standard material that is not only sustainable but also practical. 

 They contribute to reducing marine plastic while also offering high design appeal and functionality, and are easy to replace with existing accessories, so they may be one of the eco-friendly trims that brands aiming to become more sustainable can easily adopt.

In addition to the products introduced here, Morito has other discarded fishing net series, so if you’re interested, please take a look here.