Rope Circularity: Closing the Loop
on Maritime Materials
Every year, large volumes of synthetic mooring rope are retired across the maritime industry. What happens to them next is often unclear. This new IMPA SAVE initiative focuses on bringing greater visibility, structure, and value to that process.
The Challenge
Every year, thousands of tonnes of synthetic mooring rope are retired across the global fleet. Despite their scale and material value, these ropes often disappear from view once removed from vessels.
The Solution
A shift is beginning to take place from a linear model of "use and dispose" towards one of greater structure, traceability, and circularity — recovering value from materials already in use.
The Scale of the Challenge
200,000
Ropes retired globally every year
100,000t
Polymer discarded = 3.33 billion plastic bottles 30g / PET bottles
44,000km
Rope end-to-end once around the Earth
Latest Insights
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