From ocean waste to fabric: inside Spain’s sustainable fashion revolution

Every year, more than 12 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans. Spanish fashion company Ecoalf transforms marine waste and discarded materials into fabrics and clothing through a circular supply chain. But can sustainable fashion transform an industry built on overproduction?

There are almost 5,000 fishermen and one not-for-profit foundation behind Spanish sustainable fashion brand Ecoalf . Every day, the fishermen recover waste caught in their nets, while the Ecoalf Foundation has developed a system to give that waste a second life, turning it into raw material, ultimately, fabric.

"Plastic alone now accounts for around 80% of everything we bring up. This is our daily reality,” says fisherman Tony Beltrán, while showing the waste that got caught in his nets off the coast of Gandía, south of Valencia. **“**Even before recycling became popular, we were already collecting it, the only difference was that we didn't separate it."

Fisherman Tony Beltrán showing some of the waste caught in the nets off the coast of Gandía, south of Valencia. September 2026.

Since 2015, the Upcycling the Oceans project , launched alongside the creation of the Ecoalf Foundation, has recovered more than 2,000 tonnes of marine waste, the equivalent of around 100 truckloads of rubbish. Today, the initiative involves around 80 ports and has expanded to France, Italy, Greece, Egypt and Thailand. Yet, it’s still a drop in the ocean: the Foundation points out that every minute, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic ends up in the world's oceans.

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