UK tackle trade backs line recycling scheme

UK industry body the Angling Trades Association is promoting sponsorship opportunities to support the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme, which works to reduce the amount of tackle and packaging plastic waste going to landfill or simply being discarded.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is new UK legislation set for 2023, which will see the full cost of collecting plastic and household waste shift from the taxpayer to producers.

Airflo lines recently started working with the ANLRS to provide customers with real options to recycle old fly lines rather than add them to the increasing problem of landfill waste.

Working with Viv Shears of the ANLRS, Airflo was able to quickly establish that its PVC Free fly lines were suitable for the unique recycling methods used by recycling partners ReWorked.

Now, in a bid to grow the scheme, the ATA has produced a ‘shopping list’ of opportunities the industry can support, from staff costs to vehicles, office costs to recycling bins and dump bags, not to mention litter pickers and bankside clean-ups.

More than 320 tackle shops and over 150 fisheries in the UK have already signed up to offer recycling bins for their customers, keeping discarded fishing lines away from wildlife and waters.

Airflo sales director, Gareth Jones said: “Not only has ANLRS provided a real solution for old fly lines but it has also provided us with a real recycling opportunity for our own manufacturing waste through their UK based partners. As a fishing company we have a duty to support this incredibly innovative solution, I strongly recommend other tackle manufacturers reach out to ANRLS and support the scheme.”

Meanwhile, in an industry first, carp tackle brand Aptus is offering all its customers a postage-paid route to return old line, braid and other smaller plastic tackle items that would otherwise often end up in landfill so that they can be recycled.

Aptus customers with an online account can download a pre-paid label from its website when placing an order and use this to send old line, small plastic tackle items and even the single use packaging (SUP) that so many companies supply tackle items in.

The company is encouraging their customers to use the sustainable packaging their order is delivered in to return these plastic items for recycling, whether sold by Aptus or any other supplier.

The freepost label can be attached to any package up to 350mm x 250mm x 25mm (Royal Mail Large Letter) and weigh up to 250g and then dropped in a post box.

Aptus MD Jack Sherrin said: “We want to create real solutions to the biggest threats our waters face. One of those is plastic pollution, including fishing line, tackle items and packaging.

“We believe the onus for environmental responsibility – including providing customers with access to recycling – lies with us as the manufacturer, so we’ve made recycling plastic tackle waste as easy and accessible to our customers as possible.”