UBE Corporation (President: Yuki Nishida; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter, "UBE"), in collaboration with amu Inc. (CEO: Kodai Kato, Head Office: Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture), is advancing a project to recycle nylon fibers from discarded fishing nets collected in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. The company announced today that material developed through this joint initiative will be used to make the uniforms of the Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium.*¹

UBE and amu have leveraged their respective technological expertise and information networks to collect discarded fishing nets used in large-mesh drift gillnet fishing,*² a major fishing method off the Sanriku coast. Through a series of complex processes, the nets have been recycled into fabric.
UBE NYLON, manufactured and marketed by UBE, is used in a wide range of applications, including automotive parts, food packaging films, fishing nets, and fishing line. UBE recognizes the collection and recycling of discarded fishing gear, such as used nets, as a social responsibility of nylon suppliers, particularly in efforts to protect the marine environment. As part of its approach to addressing this challenge, UBE participated in the project to recycle nylon fibers from discarded fishing nets, which led to the material's adoption in this initiative.

Looking ahead, UBE will continue to strengthen its environmental initiatives. These efforts will focus not only on recycling used fishing nets but also on reducing pollution caused by various types of plastic waste, with the goal of contributing to environmental preservation.

The UBE Group addresses global environmental issues by striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pursuing the development and practical application of environmentally friendly products and technologies. By providing more customers with environmentally friendly products, technologies, and solutions, the UBE Group will help to build a carbon neutral world, thereby achieving its vision for 2030, which declares its intent to be "a corporate group centered on specialty chemicals that contributes to the global environment, human health, and an enriched future society."

Contact

UBE Corporation
Public Relations Group, Corporate Communication Department
Tel: +81-3-5419-6110; E-mail: contact_pr@ube.com
Sales Group, Composite Business Department
Tel: +81-52-961-1373