recycle and repurpose
Circular & Co (based Perranporth):
Well-known for its award-winning reusable Circular Cup – made from (plastic-lined) disposable paper cups – the company has several new products. All made from recycled materials, they include stainless steel water bottles and mugs. They estimate that over 21 million single-use paper cups have been removed from the waste stream and repurposed. For more details of their circularity mission, products, and take-back scheme visit https://circularandco.com/
Note: Cafes in Falmouth (e.g. Gylly Beach, Swanpool and Cabin Coffee) and Truro (e.g. Pollen and Flourish); and some national retailers are now offering a discount to users of reusable cups – thus saving on waste and litter.
Fishy Filaments (Newlyn):
Fishy Filaments are contributing to the circular economy by transforming end-of-life fishing nets into high quality materials used in everything from sunglasses to 3D printers, using 100% recycled marine nylon.
For more details of their process and products visit https://fishyfilaments.com/filaments/
They are now also trading as OrCA: https://cornwallangels.co.uk/portfolio/orca/. See also this article in the Guardian
Ghostnetbusters
are a group of volunteers collecting discarded or lost fishing tackle for recycling and repurposing.
Circular & Co help with storage, and the material is collected by Exeter City Council who work in partnership with Odyssey Innovations – as part of their Net Regeneration Scheme – see below.
Contact Ghostnetbusters at https://www.facebook.com/ghostnetbusters/
Odyssey Innovation Ltd (Newquay)
Odyssey – odysseyinnovation.com – works with businesses to help them reduce their plastic footprint through the Plastic Certification process. They have won several awards, and was shortlisted for the Business Leader South West Awards 2024 in the Sustainable Business Of The Year category.
See their videos to view the services Odyssey Innovation provides in Cornwall, and across the south-west, with the support of its partners including their Net Regeneration Scheme https://odysseyinnovation.com/pages/net-regeneration
Oltco (Newquay):
Oltco – www.oltco.co.uk – is a National Award-winning company specialising in the repurposing of waste plastic to create Driveways, Patios, Footpaths, Balconies, Terraces, Courtyards and Beer gardens. Recycle Bound is the world’s first drive and pathway resin surfacing made from a combination of plastic drink bottles, food packaging and straws.
For more information check out https://www.oltco.co.uk/residential/services/recyclebound/
Highly Commended in the CSA Circular Economy Awards 2020
Waterhaul (Newquay):
From Waste to Resource, Waterhaul is a social enterprise transforming marine plastic waste – especially discarded fishing nets – into high quality, purposeful products. Fishing-related debris is particularly harmful to marine life, often trapped in plastic which never degrades.
Visit https://waterhaul.co to find out about the recycling process, and their products, including eyewear (sunglasses), and a whole range of beach-cleaning equipment they make from reclaimed nets.
The litter-pickers are worth a special mention. End-of-life fishing gear is transformed into their durable litter pickers, and made from Traceable Marine Plastic which can now be traced back to the exact location where the nets are collected from. Waterhaul offers a special bulk rate for councils, schools, and environmental groups interested in their recycled equipment. Contact Amy North amy.north@waterhaul.co or call her on 07590 123616
Waterhaul are collaborating with POTR who also use Traceable Marine Plastic to make plant pots. These can be viewed here.
Waterhaul was voted first in the Cornwall Sustainability Awards Circular Economy category 2024 and also in the Overall Winner category
Other Hard-to-Recycle Materials (mostly plastic)
See the Hard to Recycle list for the Falmouth/Penryn area and also the Hard to Recycle list for the Truro area
There are a range of local collection points on both lists for contact lens, spectacles, toothbrushes/tubes, inkjet cartridges, energy-saving light bulbs, blister packs, soft/flexible plastics, and much more including mattresses.
As of March 2026, soft plastic items and drinks cartons (tetra paks) can now be collected as part of the household service. For the full list of items accepted, and where to put them out for collection see
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling-and-waste/recycling/recycle-more-from-home/
Drinks Cartons (tetra paks) can also be taken to your nearest HWRC for recycling