Bracenet

Together with partners Healthy Seas and Ghost Diving, Bracenet recovers ghost nets and, after they have been cleaned by partner Nofir, upcycles them into new products by hand in Germany, such as bracelets (the Bracenets), dog leashes, keychains and many more. 

These products preserve the original net material, but take on new functions and meaning: they are statements against plastic waste. 10 % of all proceeds are donated to Healthy Seas to support further net recovery efforts. As each product means one piece of ghost net less, Bracenet democratises the protection of the seas.

So far, Bracenet has raised around 100,000 € of donations for various ocean protection organisations, including an impressive 90,000 € to Healthy Seas. This has greatly assisted them in retrieving 510 tons of ghost net so far, of which Bracenet has upcycled almost 5 tons – saving thousands of marine animals, helping ocean ecosystems flourish, and preventing the nets from dissolving into microplastics. As 640,000 more tons of ghost nets enter the oceans yearly, Bracenet also focuses on preventive solutions. They have brought the issue to the attention of German authorities, NGOs and the public; are researching the issue with universities; and collaborating with the fishing industry. The work is paying off – many fisheries are sending discarded fishing nets directly to Bracenet, so that they don’t end up at sea. Recently, Bracenet joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, to share their learnings with a global network. Using their experience in sustainable business, the team behind Bracenet today consults businesses such as Lufthansa or football clubs like Werder Bremen in developing more sustainable products and processes, promoting far-reaching change. 

Photo Credits by: ©bracenet
https://bracenet.net/en/