Case Study: SoluNet
D&AD Future Impactrecognises and supports initiatives and products with the potential to drive positive change in the world. In 2019, we chose 11 winning ideas to receive a 12-month programme of support. This included a two-day accelerator with talks and mentoring sessions, hosted at the McCann offices in New York, with the aim of helping these ideas improve, evolve and continue to make an impact in the world.
Here we take a closer look at one of these ideas: SoluNet - a water-soluble alternative to traditional mosquito nets, that can be re-used as an eco-friendly fishing net.
Mosquito nets play a pivotal role in reducing malaria, with organisations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres relying on them to lower the risk of transmission in areas where the disease is endemic. However despite helping to control its spread, these nets have had an unintended consequence for the environment, with many people re-using them to fish.
Studies have shown that they’re incredibly efficient, with the New Scientist reporting that one sweep can bring in nearly half of the catch of a traditional fishing net. However they’re also indiscriminate, bringing in very young fish alongside the rest of the catch. This poses a serious risk for the ecosystem, potentially reducing fish stocks as well as, in some places, threatening seagrass meadows - which bind coastal sediment together and rely on fish for their existence. The problem has been reported in several African countries, where mosquito nets are provided for free by charities, and people are often too poor to buy fishing nets. Despite many countries making fishing with mosquito nets illegal, it’s done little to resolve the problem - but this is where SoluNet could step in.
Nuri Park and Ethan Sims - students at New York’s School of Visual Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology - came up with the idea after reading a story about mosquito nets, and realising little was being done to address the problem. “We really wanted to do something for our environment,” says Park. “We read an article about mosquito net fishing, from three or four years ago, and we talked about it, and how no-one seems to really care about this problem.”
Together, the duo began investigating how a water-soluble synthetic polymer, PVA, could be used to make the nets instead. The pair would use recycled nylon, from discarded fishing gear, to weave a traditional fishing net, and then overlay that with mosquito mesh made from the PVA. This means that when nets are re-used, the finer mesh will dissolve in the water - preventing fishers from catching juvenile fish, or getting arrested for breaking the law.
Park and Sims have designed a prototype version of SoluNet, which currently takes 30 minutes for the mosquito mesh to completely dissolve. However the pair are looking for scientists or factories to partner with, to explore ways of making the finer mesh dissolve more quickly. Ultimately, they hope to distribute SoluNet for free through charities.
“I believe people in advertising can change the world,” says Park. “People in agencies should have their own ideas of how to impact the world. I want younger creatives to think more about the world’s problems.”
“I don’t want to just sell products, I want to create action, and help people change their minds or behaviour,” she adds. “We want this product to advertise this huge problem, and help resolve it.”
Are you working on a project that's challenging the status quo? Whether it's a design, business or service initiative - if you're using creativity for good, we want to hear from you. The deadline for Future Impact entries is 15 July. Clickhereto find out more.