Prior to creating Net Your Problem (NYP), Nicole Baker was working as a fisheries observer on commercial fishing boats out of some of the biggest fishing ports in Alaska. By chance, she came upon an article that described how Adidas was making sneakers out of recycled fishing nets. “There are literally mountains of nets in the towns where I was stationed,” she said. Another article described how a group in the Netherlands was sending nets to Denmark to be recycled. Connecting the dots, Nicole seized the opportunity to embark on a new career. That was in 2017. Since then, Nicole’s Net Your Problem business has not only grown both in size and geographic reach but has kept hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic out of landfills and oceans.
Background
“I began to realize just how much plastic was being used in the fishing industry, who knew that nets were made of plastic?” Baker said when describing those first few steps toward establishing NYP. “For the first few years of operations, we sent nets from Alaska to Denmark. As word got out about what we were doing, more and more people would contact us to see if we could start a recycling program in their area.”
As the popularity of the program increased, Baker started branching out by looking at NOAA’s list of top ports, leading to expanding her reach in Alaska as well as initiating programs in places like Maine, Massachusetts, and Seattle. The Port of Newport in Oregon is one of the most recent locations to support the initiative, collecting over 260,000 pounds of netting from fisheries. In return for providing space for collection, the Port of Newport has found a cost-effective solution to preventing plastics from going to the landfill.
How it works
Baker has built a solid business plan to ensure that Net Your Problem would be a viable and sustainable for-profit business versus operations that relied on grants and donations which were often short-lived. She explains: “Let’s use Kodiak Alaska as an example,” she said, noting that each location will have a different system. “For a fisherman to take their recycling to a landfill, they will be charged $365 per ton. We’ll charge the same amount so that the decision is not an economic one for the fisherman. We’ll use ‘plastic credits’ to make up the difference in cost (a very similar program to carbon credits only this time, we receive the money to recover plastic from the environment). It’s a market-based subsidy more than it is a grant.” Baker then sells the material collected to recyclers who in turn sell it to manufacturers to make products such as sunglasses, surfing equipment and other ocean recreation products.
Baker and her team begin by sorting the piles of netting into different types of plastic and then putting the sorted material into a baling machine. “The bales are then sold to recycling companies. Collections on the East Coast go to Europe where we have recyclers in Denmark, Portugal and Spain. We also have recyclers on the West Cost in British Columbia and California,” she said, adding that markets are opening up in Tennessee and North Carolina as well.
Growing popularity
Starting by herself in 2017, Baker has now grown the operation to five staff, each representing a different geographic location. “The strategy for growing the number of places we serve has been to add one or two new locations every year to allow us to spend time to establish the logistics and ensure the program is sustainable from a business perspective.”
And while operations initially focused on commercial fishing, additional material from tug and barge companies and aquaculture farms have been added. “We’re slowly moving beyond just fishing gear recycling to become more of a maritime plastics recycling company – including sectors such as shipping and tourism.”
A key practice Baker has put in place is to ensure that the factories where material end up have solid ethical and environmental standards. “We avoid factories that have child labor or environmental problems,” she said, adding that NYP showcases the products that are made to encourage participation.
Next steps
At present, outreach is a key focus for Baker. “Those who use our service are very satisfied with the solution we provide so this year, we’ve decided to generate more awareness and expand into other sectors within the industry.” Trade shows such as Inland Marine Expo, the Workboat Show in New Orleans, and increased contact with cruise ship companies in Fort Lauderdale, are providing new avenues for Baker to explore.
Another key outreach activity that Baker is looking forward to participating in is the APP’s 111th Annual Conference in Nanaimo, British Columbia this August. In addition to a presentation to attendees, Baker will be taking advantage of networking opportunities to speak one-on-one with port representatives. Already having received valuable feedback and support from the Port of Newport, a long-time APP member, Baker feels the venue is a perfect place to meet more like-minded members.
In conjunction with the outreach, Baker investigates current practices of sectors to see how NYP can enter those markets. “What material do they use and how do they currently dispose of it are a couple of the questions we first try to answer. And from there, collaborating with potential clients to find out what works best for them.”
Ultimately, Baker would like to see a collection depot established in each of the top 50 ports from her original NOAA list. While the focus will remain on collections within the United States for now, Baker will often send material to other countries – Canada and Mexico included. “There are other groups providing similar services in other countries (often with different legal and regulatory guidelines) and there’s plenty of opportunity here in the U.S. for us.”
On behalf of APP members, welcome to the Association NYP! We look forward to working with you.
