HMM Co., South Korea’s container shipper has signed an agreement with marine waste management company Foresys to establish a circular environment system using discarded mooring ropes. HMM generates about 20 tons of waste from worn-out mooring lines every year, which have been sent to landfills or incinerated as waste.
Under this agreement, HMM and Foresys will use eco-friendly technology to remove and process salt and foreign substances from the surface of old mooring lines, then recycle them to produce raw material for nylon, creating a circular system. Nylon raw material in the form of pellets or yarns can be used to make clothing, miscellaneous goods, and household goods.
Mooring lines are thick ropes used to moor ships in ports, and are usually replaced every 5 to 7 years, as they are crucial for the safety of ships and crews.
HMM is said to be the first shipping company in South Korea to recycle waste generated from mooring ropes. According to the company, about 80 to 90 percent of retired mooring ropes can be recycled on a weight basis.
Similarly, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Wilhelmsen Ships Service announced a project last September that aims to examine how old ropes can be turned into new ropes or other fiber products.
