End-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear: An assessment of the potential recycling capacity in Scotland

Executive summary

Introduction

Marine plastic pollution is a growing global concern, with a significant percentage originating from the fishing and aquaculture sectors. Large plastic items such as nets present entanglement risks to marine organisms. Plastics also break down over time, releasing microplastics which can have a negative impact on animal and human health.

The Scottish Government is actively working towards preventing litter from entering the marine environment as well as supporting its removal. An increase in collection and recycling of end-of-life (EOL) fishing and aquaculture gear would reduce a potential source of litter and enable more of the economic value of these materials to be recovered. This would support the Scottish Government’s circular economy goals.

The Scottish Government’s current understanding is that most EOL fishing and aquaculture gear brought ashore is either stored, disposed of in landfill, incinerated with some energy recovery, or exported for recycling or recovery. There is a lack of understanding of the plastics reprocessing landscape for Scottish-derived EOL gear and how much spare capacity exists.

Previous research by Resource Futures established a baseline understanding of the quantities of plastic waste generated from the Scottish fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

Through a combination of desk-based research and stakeholder engagement, this report identifies which plastic reprocessing facilities currently do, or could potentially, accept key polymers derived from Scottish EOL gear. It presents the available data on reprocessing quantities and spare capacity. It outlines what intermediate processing activities are needed, and the barriers and challenges to scaling up domestic reprocessing. Finally, opportunities for tackling these challenges, for consideration by Scottish Government, are provided.

The findings

An estimated 4,268 tonnes of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), including high-density polyethylene (HDPE) EOL gear arises in Scotland annually. A large percentage of this is currently disposed of in landfill, with some also going to incineration, and small quantities repaired, reused or repurposed. The reprocessing of EOL plastic gear is not widespread but is happening on a small scale, with more aquaculture gear currently reprocessed than fishing gear.

In total, 11 reprocessors were identified in Scotland that accept the key polymers. Three facilities were identified as currently accepting EOL gear. A further two facilities showed interest in accepting EOL gear in the future. Two facilities showed no interest in accepting EOL gear, and it remains unknown whether the final four facilities may accept it or not.

An estimated 1,040 tonnes of EOL plastic gear were reprocessed in Scotland in 2024-25, while another 195 tonnes were reprocessed in England and 155 tonnes elsewhere in Europe. The spare capacity for reprocessing the key polymers in Scotland is at least 12,500 tonnes per annum (TPA), which greatly exceeds the total estimated annual quantity of EOL plastic gear generated in Scotland (4,268 TPA). This suggests the reprocessing capacity for relevant polymers in Scotland is not a barrier to scaling up fishing gear recycling. However, other challenges are stopping this from happening.

Barriers to EOL plastic gear reprocessing include sporadic waste generation, high collection and transportation costs, the current state of the plastic market and the limited reprocessing infrastructure willing to accepting EOL gear in Scotland. The lack of intermediate processing activities is a key limiting factor to increasing domestic reprocessing. Barriers to such activities include lack of collections or pre-processing at ports to ensure regular supply, the need for specialist and expensive equipment, and high labour costs – all of which make it hard for the outputs to compete commercially with other materials available to plastics reprocessors.

Conclusion and opportunities

This research has established that the main barriers to scaling up plastic fishing gear recycling in Scotland are not connected to reprocessing capacity. Rather, they relate to the complex intermediate processing required to make EOL gear compatible with other common PE and PP feedstock. Scotland needs to scale up intermediate processing operations, while bringing down associated costs and developing viable commercial models.

Key opportunities identified to increase domestic reprocessing of EOL gear include:

• Supporting circular gear design to bring down the cost of EOL dismantling, whether through improved use of guidance and standards, or research and development (R&D) funding.
• Supporting basic pre-processing activities at ports and harbours, through measures such as funded trials or storage facilities, and guidance or requirements for ports.
• Supporting collection and transportation of EOL gear from sites of origin to intermediate processors, for example through a national collection and storage network.
• Supporting specialist intermediate processing and reprocessing activities, for example through subsidising energy costs.
• Supporting end markets to develop, which could involve facilitating partnerships and R&D.
• Facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing, for example by establishing a shared vision for fishing and aquaculture gear recycling in Scotland and providing data in support of future investments.