Harry Cronshaw

Reef Line

Bachelor of Design Product Design Sustainability

The sustainable nylon chilly bin.

This product improves upon the user experience of on-shore fishers, while simultaneously raising awareness for the issue of abandoned fishing nets in our oceans and repurposing them. Reef Line is an all-in-one stool, storage unit and chilly bin for fishers. It promotes ocean clean-up by using plastic waste as a valuable resource and is entirely made from 100% recycled Nylon, all coming from discarded fishing nets. Fishing companies and fishers donate old nets to the cause and abandoned nets are collected from the sea, stopping ghost nets from destroying ocean ecosystems and habitats. The product also raises awareness of the serious issue of ghost nets and continues to support the people cleaning up our oceans and prevents fishing nets from being abandoned in the first place.

Ghost nets are fishing nets that are left, lost or forgotten by commercial and hobby fishermen. Ghost nets equate to roughly 600,000 tons of Nylon left in the ocean worldwide each year. Ghost nets are easily pulled along by strong ocean currents and sweep through ocean ecosystems harming coral reefs and killing sea life that gets entangled in them. This in turn, attracts more sea life, as the filled nets get dragged around the seafloor.

Through research, the project aim emerged to design a product that raised awareness and encouraged the removal of ghost nets from the oceans, giving new life to this recyclable Nylon, a valuable resource in itself. The aim was also to create a product that improves the experience of people going fishing, giving back to the fishing community. There are already existing processes in place that allow for Nylon fishing nets to be restored to useable material, that is much more sustainable than creating new virgin Nylon.

Reef line is an ergonomic, comfortable and easy to carry alternative to traditional chilly bins, while also providing the fishermen with dry-storage and a comfortable seat, cutting down the amount of equipment transported. Reef Line's all-in-one design makes it easier to reach those hard to get to fishing spots, freeing up your hands, and its durable and robust design will provide the users with a structurally sound seat as they wait for that first bite.

Using rotational moulding to construct the body, lids and hinges and Nylon thread for the strap and shoulder pad makes the Reef Line easy and affordable to recycle at the end of its life, as it does not need to be taken apart, consisting of only one material.