We are the next wave
in maritime and manufacturing sustainability
2.2 Million +
pounds of lines, ropes and nets diverted from landfills and the environment.
8 States
where we have collected materials.
40+ Communities
supported in keeping plastics out of the landfill on both coasts.
8+ Years
collaborating with partners from all maritime industries, from fishermen to artists.
About
Founded in 2017 in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska by Nicole Baker, Net Your Problem is an organization dedicated to engaging diverse stakeholders and partners to create an economically viable pathway for recycling end-of-life maritime plastics. We work to improve waste management, advance the circular economy, and reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with virgin plastic production.
Collection & Assessment
End-of-life maritime plastics are collected from fishing, aquaculture, transportation, and coastal operations, or assessed through samples to identify material type, condition, and recycling potential.
Partner Coordination & Logistics
Net Your Problem coordinates logistics with participants and regional partners, setting up agreements, transport, and consolidation to move materials efficiently from ports and facilities to recyclers.
Recycling & Processing
Materials are sorted and sent to appropriate mechanical or advanced recyclers based on contamination and polymer type, ensuring plastics are truly recycled—not landfilled or exported irresponsibly.
Circular Economy & Impact
Recycled plastics are supplied to manufacturers and sustainable brands, creating new products, supporting fishing communities, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and closing the loop on maritime plastic waste.
The Ports Love Us!
“Net Your Problem makes it really easy for the user; they don't have to worry about transporting their used nets. They don't have to worry about finding a place for it to go. That's proper because we are an organization that's concerned about the creation of jobs and economic development. We want to provide a place where water dependent and water related businesses can start up and we want to reduce the barriers to entry in their marketplace as much as we possibly can as a service to the community for Net Your Problem to be here. They basically reduce the cost for waste disposal. Most of all, they provide a sustainable choice for people to dispose of their nets. Fishermen have definitely responded positively to Net Your Problem's presence here. They have been asking for this sort of thing for a long time. And we were fortunate to have Net Your Problem come to us and ask to get established here because ideally it gives us a constant presence where we can provide that service and it's reliable. It's going to be here when they need it.”
- Aaron Bretz, Deputy Director & Director of Operations at the Port of Newport
Communities Love Us!
“I'm excited for this (Net Recycling Day 2025) event, for all of these seafood companies to come together to do something good for the community to be able to recycle, to provide back to the earth environments, to actually have a, you know, a resource to send all these materials to. They're not just going to waste. They're not going to the ocean. So I'm excited to actually be part of something that can help everybody out..”
- Rodriguo, Coastal Villages
Fishers Love Us!
“It's gratifying to know that my fishing nets, the very thing that provides my livelihood and feeds the world with a clean, sustainable protein, will play part in a natural progression of sourced materials to their second, third and fourth lives....At the end of the season, we “strip” all of the worn mesh off re-usable cork and lead lines, and send them off to be packaged up with our local recycler, Net Your Problem"
-Keree Smith, FV Deborah, Bristol Bay
