Net Impact is a proposal for a design process that takes stranded ‘ghost’ fishing nets out of the ocean and transforms them into chairs and benches for public areas.

Ghost gear is fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost or discarded in the ocean. Fishing gear lost at sea can drift and entangle ocean life. Discarded fishing nets can smother coral reefs, while abandoned crab pots can continue trapping marine creatures on the ocean floor. There is also increasing evidence that ghost gear contributes to the problem of marine plastics (Marine Stewardship Council). In October 2020, a new report from WWF said abandoned fishing gear poses an “immortal menace” which must be central in the fight against plastic pollution. According to the report, the number of species affected by either entanglement or ingestion of plastic debris has doubled since 1997, from 267 to 557 species. 66% of marine mammals, 50% of seabirds, and all 7 species of marine turtles.

The public benches and chairs help build infrastructure and create awareness on this global issue.