100 % recycled. 100 % recyclable. The first of its kind. Recycline Monofilament by Sufix is made from what others have left behind – and judging by the product’s popularity, the angling community is ready to embrace the new, sustainable direction for the sport.
Pioneering is never easy. There are no trodden paths to follow. No giants’ shoulders to stand on. Only unknown. Pioneering, by definition, requires doing what none have done before. When Sufix started developing Recycline Monofilament, the world’s first 100 % recycled monofilament fishing line, it took about two years until the product that had once been a sketch on the PD table was ready to hit the shelves in the Spring of 2021.
It’s no wonder that Taneli Väisänen, Rapala VMC’s Research and Sustainability Manager, is quick to point out that creating products like Recycline Monofilament is no walk in the park.
“There are so many things to consider – starting from the acquisition of the right raw materials. We’re known for the high quality of our products, and that’s something we won’t compromise upon,” Väisänen points out.
Indeed, when designing Recycline Monofilament, one of the critical steps was finding the right raw materials. There are many recycled materials already available on the market, but most of them are limited to textile products. And with Recycline Monofilament, the performance had to be on point – the product had to have the perfect viscosity and the same reliability as other monofilaments. After excessive research and extrusion tests, the group found the right candidate.
Econyl is a regenerated nylon manufactured by the Italian synthetic fibers and polymers company Aquafil. The company has found a way to harvest industrial and post-consumer waste – such as ghost nets lying in the ocean – and purify it into a regenerated nylon. In an industry-first partnership, Aquafil agreed to provide Sufix an exclusive supply of the regenerated nylon. And from Econyl, Sufix was able to manufacture Recycline Monofilament. Wrapped around a spool made 100 % from repurposed plastic, Recycline Monofilament is packaged in fully recycled paperboard packaging – to show the group is taking no half measures when it comes to sustainability.
This is a feat Väisänen calls “a truly remarkable step.” When talking about Recycline Monofilament, Väisänen points out that the product is not only a fishing line anglers can depend on but also a token of Rapala VMC’s commitment to the group’s sustainability goals.
“This is something concrete. Something that anglers can hold in their hands. A high-quality product produced in an environmentally friendly manner,” Väisänen says.
“When it comes to sustainability, it’s so easy to string pretty words together and tell beautiful stories about the environment. But what we have here is a product that is part of the solution. A concrete action for a more sustainable tomorrow.”
Indeed, Recycline Monofilament aligns well with Rapala VMC’s new sustainability strategy. Launched in 2020, the strategy lined out the group’s ambitious target: to be one of the leading fishing tackle companies in terms of sustainability in 2024. The bar is set high, but for a good reason. Rapala VMC ranks among the biggest players in the industry, and the group is ready to leverage its position and lead the industry towards a more sustainable direction. At the same time, the company is pushing itself to keep exploring new and sustainable alternatives to traditional materials and methods.
And, as Väisänen points out, the group is taking other remarkable steps in implementing the sustainability strategy. “For example, all the Rapala hard bait production units in Europe are running on 100 % renewable energy! And many of our lures – like the CountDown Elite – are lead-free and made from responsibly sourced, FSC-certified balsa wood,” Väisänen explains.
“For us, sustainability is an ongoing process. We’re extending our new sustainability strategy to business units step by step and looking at our products with a critical eye to see if there’s anything we can do to make them more ecological.”
It’s products exactly like Recycline Monofilament that make sustainable choices easier for anglers. And now, Rapala VMC has made recognizing those choices even simpler. With the launch of EcoChoice, the group’s trademark for sustainable products, Rapala VMC is distinguishing its ecological products – products just like Recycline Monofilament.
Because, as Väisänen so aptly points out: “Angling is not only about the thrill of the catch. It’s also about exploring, preserving, and respecting the outdoors.”
