--- title: "Healix: Turning Fishing and Farming Plastic Waste into Circular Materials" id: "8304" type: "post" slug: "healix-turning-fishing-and-farming-plastic-waste-into-circular-materials" published_at: "2025-03-25T13:20:59+00:00" modified_at: "2025-03-20T12:50:51+00:00" url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/03/healix-turning-fishing-and-farming-plastic-waste-into-circular-materials-008304/" markdown_url: "https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2025/03/healix-turning-fishing-and-farming-plastic-waste-into-circular-materials-008304.md" excerpt: "Empowered by the global crisis of plastic fiber waste, Healix, a Dutch start-up, aims to close the loop by creating infinity polymers from recovered fishing and farming plastic waste. " taxonomy_category: - "Business" - "Circular Economy" - "Durables" - "Industry" - "Materials" - "PET" - "Polyethylene" - "Polyolefins" - "Polypropylene" - "Recycling" - "Resins" - "Sustainability" - "Trending" - "Wearables" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Dutch start-up" - "HDPE" - "Healix" - "LDPE" - "Molecular Recycling" - "nets" - "Plastic Fiber Waste" - "PP" - "Purification Technology" - "ropes" --- [Home](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/) » [News](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/news/) » [Trending](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/trending/) » [Sustainability](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/c/trending/sustainability/) » Healix: Turning Fishing and Farming Plastic Waste into Circular Materials # Healix: Turning Fishing and Farming Plastic Waste into Circular Materials Closing the loop for plastic fiber waste requires ingenuity and perseverance, as demonstrated by the Healix team. Marcel Alberts, founder of Healix, on baler twine. Courtesy of Healix. ### **Empowered by the global crisis of plastic fiber waste, Healix, a Dutch start-up, aims to close the loop by creating infinity polymers from recovered fishing and farming plastic waste.** Healix transforms used ropes, nets, and other plastic fiber waste into certified polymers for the global manufacturing supply chain. **You can also read:**[The Fashion Industry Needs an Alternative to Recycled PET.](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2023/11/the-fashion-industry-needs-an-alternative-to-recycled-pet-002381/) ## **Closing the Loop with Purification Technology** Committed to solving the plastic problem, Healix takes advantage of the concept of circular value chains. They retrieve, recycle, and return plastic. The start-up partners with waste management companies and NGOs, such as The Ocean Cleanup and A.D.I.VALOR, to retrieve plastic fiber waste. Then, using their advanced hydrodynamic surface friction purification technology, they “literally wash each filament,” explains Marcel Alberts, Founder of Healix. They open the rope or net structure to remove contaminants such as sand, salt, and organic residue without using detergents. Afterward, they use their “Erema extrusion technology, with its double filtration system,” to gradually melt the dried fiber. Then, they shape it into a die and pelletize it for easier transport and processing. Erema extrusion technology. Courtesy of [Healix.](https://healix.eco/) With his patented purification process, Marcel and his team currently produce eight different types of cleaner recycled polymers. They range from PP and HDPE to LDPE. ## **Dealing with Technical Challenges** Like every company, Healix has faced various challenges in achieving its current goals. One of the biggest challenges is “dealing with highly contaminated marine and agricultural plastic waste.” Marcel stated it “required extensive R&D to optimize cleaning protocols without compromising material quality.” Moreover, scaling up their process while maintaining energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness has also been challenging. Even so, Healix is recognized as a First-Of-A-Kind (FOAK) recycling line with a nameplate capacity of 6,000 tons. This demonstrates its resilience and commitment to closing the loop. ## **Collaborating with Multinationals** Successful case studies highlight the Healix team’s endeavors, such as their collaboration with Schoeller Allibert and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP). They “supplied recycled polymers from discarded tulip nets, enabling the creation of 97% recycled plastic crates for Coca-Cola bottles in their iconic red color.” > ***“This project not only demonstrated the quality of our recycled material but also contributed to reducing CO₂ emissions and fossil plastic use,” explained Marcel.*** Tulip nets recycling. Courtesy of [Healix.](https://healix.eco/) ## **Looking to the Future** Encouraged by their achievements, Healix will continue contributing to the global supply chain. They plan to develop a new big bag recycling line to improve economics and manufacture advanced compounds to enhance polymer properties. Furthermore, they will implement blockchain technology to track the plastic lifecycle and ensure supply chain transparency. They will also continue creating partnerships with providers, technology companies, industry leaders, and institutional partners. They stated that these alliances are key across their value chain. Healix is an example of how the circular economy can help tackle the global plastic waste crisis. They focused on a problem and created a solution that added value to the environment and the industry. By **[Laura Gonzalez](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/lauragonz/)** | March 25, 2025 ##### [Laura Gonzalez](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/author/lauragonz/) [+ postsBio ⮌](#) ### Other posts you could read [May 7, 2026PCR Plastics Are Redefining Aesthetic Standards](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/05/pcr-plastics-are-redefining-aesthetic-standards-011186/) [April 24, 2026Emerging Markets for Polyolefins in the Solar Industry](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/emerging-markets-for-polyolefins-in-the-solar-industry-011128/) [May 5, 2026Assessing the Limits of Circularity in Healthcare Plastics](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/05/assessing-the-limits-of-circularity-in-healthcare-plastics-011180/) [May 12, 2026Why Recycled Polymers Still Cost More Than Virgin Resin](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/05/why-recycled-polymers-still-cost-more-than-virgin-resin-011239/) [May 13, 2026The Logistics Challenge of Scaling Mechanical Recycling](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/05/the-logistics-challenge-of-scaling-mechanical-recycling-011251/) [April 20, 2026Real-Time Melt Monitoring in Extrusion and Injection Molding](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/04/real-time-melt-monitoring-in-extrusion-and-injection-molding-011167/) [May 1, 2026High-Viscosity Photopolymers Transform Additive Manufacturing](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/05/high-viscosity-photopolymers-transform-additive-manufacturing-011153/) [May 14, 2026Carbon Fiber Production from End-of-Life Automotive Polymers](https://www.plasticsengineering.org/2026/05/carbon-fiber-production-from-end-of-life-automotive-polymers-011254/) ## Share Your Thoughts [Cancel reply](/2025/03/healix-turning-fishing-and-farming-plastic-waste-into-circular-materials-008304/#respond) - [https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&text=Healix%3A+Turning+Fishing+and+Farming+Plastic+Waste+into+Circular+Materials&via=Plastics_Mag](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&text=Healix%3A+Turning+Fishing+and+Farming+Plastic+Waste+into+Circular+Materials&via=Plastics_Mag) - [https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&t=Healix%3A+Turning+Fishing+and+Farming+Plastic+Waste+into+Circular+Materials](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&t=Healix%3A+Turning+Fishing+and+Farming+Plastic+Waste+into+Circular+Materials) - [https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&title=Healix:%20Turning%20Fishing%20and%20Farming%20Plastic%20Waste%20into%20Circular%20Materials&summary=Empowered+by+the+global+crisis+of+plastic+fiber+waste%2C+Healix%2C+a+Dutch+start-up%2C+aims+to+close+the+loop+by+creating+infinity+polymers+from+recovered+fishing+and+farming+plastic+waste.%C2%A0&source=Plastics+Engineering](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&title=Healix:%20Turning%20Fishing%20and%20Farming%20Plastic%20Waste%20into%20Circular%20Materials&summary=Empowered+by+the+global+crisis+of+plastic+fiber+waste%2C+Healix%2C+a+Dutch+start-up%2C+aims+to+close+the+loop+by+creating+infinity+polymers+from+recovered+fishing+and+farming+plastic+waste.%C2%A0&source=Plastics+Engineering) - [https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&title=Healix%3A+Turning+Fishing+and+Farming+Plastic+Waste+into+Circular+Materials](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.plasticsengineering.org/?p=8304&title=Healix%3A+Turning+Fishing+and+Farming+Plastic+Waste+into+Circular+Materials) - [/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f307c7a6d656a6c7b325f636e7c7b666c7c2f4a616866616a6a7d6661682f222f476a6e636677352f5b7a7d616661682f49667c676661682f6e616b2f496e7d626661682f5f636e7c7b666c2f586e7c7b6a2f66617b602f4c667d6c7a636e7d2f426e7b6a7d666e637c296d606b7632677b7b7f7c352020787878217f636e7c7b666c7c6a616866616a6a7d66616821607d6820307f32373c3f3b](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f307c7a6d656a6c7b325f636e7c7b666c7c2f4a616866616a6a7d6661682f222f476a6e636677352f5b7a7d616661682f49667c676661682f6e616b2f496e7d626661682f5f636e7c7b666c2f586e7c7b6a2f66617b602f4c667d6c7a636e7d2f426e7b6a7d666e637c296d606b7632677b7b7f7c352020787878217f636e7c7b666c7c6a616866616a6a7d66616821607d6820307f32373c3f3b) - [#comments](#comments)