Use of waste fishing nets in cementitious applications

Waste fishing nets cause severe detrimental impacts on the environment, as they are lost and abandoned in the ocean and on beaches yearly, harming the ecosystems. Most discarded fishing nets are made of non-biodegradable material, and dumping them into the sea or on land pollutes the environment. There is a growing demand for innovative and sustainable ways to reuse and recycle them into new product applications. Waste fishing nets can be used for reinforcing cementitious composites for structural and non-structural purposes to avoid these disposal problems. The inclusion of reinforcing fibers has significantly improved cement-based materials' physical and mechanical properties. When waste fishing nets are used as fiber, or mesh as it is, or as yarn, can meet the demands of the construction industry for a variety of products. The advancements in the usage of waste fishing nets as building materials are outlined in this paper. The review summarises current published literature about cementitious systems that contain waste fishing nets with an emphasis on their current management, fresh and hardened properties, and durability. Additionally, future research gaps on the behavior of waste fishing net reinforced composites for civil engineering applications are identified that contribute to the sustainability of the construction industry.