From Port to Product: The Story of NetPlus® Recycled Nylon

From Port to Product: The Story of NetPlus® Recycled Nylon

Emilia Renshaw

At Henri-Lloyd, our heritage is rooted in the sea, and with that comes an enduring responsibility to protect it. That’s why for AW25 we made a conscious choice to bring Bureo® fabric into our architecture, who’s pioneering NetPlus® recycled nylon transforms one of the ocean’s most harmful plastics (discarded fishing nets) into high-performance fabrics.

The fishing communities Bureo® work with are not the problem - they are part of the solution. Across 44 coastal communities in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, the US, Seychelles, and Japan, worn and damaged fishing nets are collected through an incentivised program. In return, local fishermen are empowered to safeguard the waters they depend on, keeping lost, abandoned, or deliberately discarded nets (ghost nets) from causing devastating harm to marine life.

Every net is tracked from collection to finished yarn, ensuring end-to-end traceability and 100% post-consumer recycled content. Through advanced depolymerisation, the nylon is broken down and reborn as high-quality yarn, ready to be engineered into fabrics that meet the durability standards demanded of technical outerwear.

The impact is measurable. Compared to virgin nylon, NetPlus® reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, water use by 70%, fossil fuel consumption by 67%, and energy use by 68%. At the same time, the program supports coastal employment and reinvests in environmental initiatives, ensuring positive impact for both ocean health and local communities.

Why We Chose NetPlus® for Bergen

The Bergen Jackets and Gilet embody this philosophy: technical outerwear crafted from a blend of advanced innovations, designed to protect you from the elements while helping to protect the ocean too.”

By integrating NetPlus® into our Bergen Jackets and Gilet, we unite performance with purpose - delivering protection built for cold commutes, coastal escapes, and everyday voyages while helping to clean the seas that inspire us.

Choosing NetPlus® is more than a fabric decision. It’s a statement of our values: that performance and responsibility can, and must, go hand in hand - crafted with the same uncompromising standards Henri-Lloyd has stood for since 1963.

The NetPlus® Journey: From Ghost Nets to Performance Fabric

Transforming waste into performance takes more than recycling - it takes a considered process designed for long-term impact. Every step of the NetPlus® journey is traceable, purposeful, and built to protect both the ocean and the communities who depend on it.

Collecting
Through an incentivised program, fishermen around the world are empowered to return end-of-life nets responsibly, preventing one of the most damaging forms of plastic from drifting back into the sea.

Processing
At Bureo’s facilities, the recovered nets are sorted, cleaned, shredded, and packed, preparing them for advanced recycling.

Recycling
Using depolymerisation technology, the nylon is broken down and reformed into NetPlus® nylon pellets - ready to begin a second life.

Spinning
Those pellets are extruded into high-quality yarns, providing the foundation for durable, technical fabrics.

Innovating
The resulting fabrics are engineered to meet the rigorous standards demanded by Henri-Lloyd.

Empowering
Beyond materials, the program funds employment, strengthens waste infrastructure, and supports non-profit initiatives in coastal communities, building cleaner and stronger futures by the sea.

Performance with Purpose: Henri-Lloyd’s Ongoing Commitment

At Henri-Lloyd, every product begins with a simple question: how can we create gear that performs without compromise - while protecting the waters that inspire us? With NetPlus® recycled nylon, the answer is clear. By transforming discarded fishing nets into technical fabrics, we’re able to deliver outerwear that is functional without relying on virgin resources.

This isn’t a one-off innovation. It’s part of a wider responsibility we hold as a brand born from the sea: to minimise our impact, design for longevity, and always seek cleaner, more responsible ways of making. From fluorocarbon-free water-repellent finishes to timeless, durable designs backed by warranty, every choice reflects our belief that performance and responsibility must go hand in hand.

The Bergen Jackets and Gilet mark the latest step on that journey, they embody our vision of performance with purpose clothing that protects you from the elements, while helping to protect the ocean itself.