Plastic marine debris is difficult to recycle as it gets degraded by sea water, ocean movement and exposure to sunlight. Plenty of companies have claimed to recycle marine debris in the past, but are usually only talking about recycling "ocean-bound" plastic. This is plastic that may have entered the ocean, but was intercepted before doing so.
After years of research and development, Tangaroa Blue has created ReefCycle Marine Derived Plastics (MDP) — an innovative polymer made in part from marine debris once considered unrecyclable. The breakthrough followed extensive field testing during remote clean-up events to analyse and identify viable materials by their
chemical composition. Working with leading plastics recycling and polymer specialists, Tangaroa Blue identified polymers that are suitable for recovery.
Prototype products made from ReefCycle MDP are now being tested (examples shown below).
This achievement marks a significant advance: by identifying, recovering, and transforming these degraded materials into a usable recyclate, we've opened a new circular pathway that keeps more collected marine debris waste out of landfill and in productive use.
