Waterhaul
Waterhaul is a UK manufacturer that recovers abandoned fishing gear from UK coastlines and recycles it into Traceable Marine Plastic™ sunglasses, knives, litter pickers, and adventure gear sold direct-to-consumer and supplied as pellets to partner brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNewquay, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Waterhaul does
Waterhaul is a Newquay, UK-based manufacturer founded in 2018 that transforms "ghost" fishing gear — abandoned nets, ropes, and lines recovered from UK coastlines — into Traceable Marine Plastic™ pellets and a portfolio of consumer products. The company's core process intercepts three polymer streams (Polypropylene, HDPE, Nylon), sorts and shreds them at a Cornish processing facility, and extrudes pellets via a specialist partner in Dumfries, with each batch carrying a unique QR code that traces recovery location from port to finished product. Output is sold under the Waterhaul brand primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce at waterhaul.co, with global shipping and pricing in the £7-£175 range across sunglasses (Horizon and Coastline collections, prescription eyewear), litter picking equipment, folding knives, adventure kit boxes, and accessories.
The company monetises through three channels: a D2C storefront carrying its own branded line, limited-edition co-branded products with conservation NGOs (Dolphin Project, World Cetacean Alliance, Sea Shepherd) carrying per-unit donations, and a B2B Traceable Marine Plastic pellet supply business licensing its material to third-party manufacturers (Circular&Co, Potr, Gomi, AllDay Goods, Plaber, Cmonsta, Poca Audio, Moulded Earplugs). Customers span outdoor enthusiasts, coastal consumers, conservation-aligned buyers, schools, councils, and corporate cleanup participants; a wholesale/stockist program supports select retail distribution. Waterhaul reports £2M in revenue and 25,000 pairs sold as of November 2023, achieved with 1-10 employees and prior to its first external capital raise of approximately $977K on Crowdcube.
Operationally, Waterhaul combines a material-recovery supply chain anchored in Cornwall and Dumfries with a digital traceability platform and a community of more than 40,000 engaged members and 35,000+ litter picker users. The lifetime warranty on all frames and closed-loop recycling of returned pairs reinforce a circular-economy positioning, while the Traceable Marine Plastic sub-brand extends the underlying polymer offering beyond eyewear into B2B material licensing. The business remains privately held and founder-led by Harry Dennis (CEO) and Gavin Parker (COO), with no disclosed private equity or strategic ownership.
Waterhaul firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waterhaul
- Legal name
- Waterhaul
- Website
- https://waterhaul.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Waterhaul is a UK manufacturer that recovers abandoned fishing gear from UK coastlines and recycles it into Traceable Marine Plastic™ sunglasses, knives, litter pickers, and adventure gear sold direct-to-consumer and supplied as pellets to partner brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Waterhaul industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Eyewear & Outdoor Gear
- NAICS
- Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Wholesale-Misc Durable Goods (5090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards) (CRAMAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Pollution Response & Environmental Salvage (Oil Spill, HAZMAT) (IMAJANAF)
Keywords
Where Waterhaul is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newquay
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Waterhaul business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Eyewear Sales: Primary revenue from sunglasses and prescription eyewear made from recycled fishing gear. Products include Horizon collection (mineral glass+ lenses), Coastline collection (polycarbonate lenses), and prescription options. Average price points £65-£175.
- Accessories & Tools: Litter picking equipment, folding pocket knives, adventure kit boxes, and eyewear accessories. Revenue from functional outdoor gear made with recycled marine plastic.
- Brand Collaborations: Co-branded limited edition products with conservation organizations (Dolphin Project, World Cetacean Alliance, Sea Shepherd) and lifestyle brands (Circular&Co, Potr, Gomi). Each collaboration includes donation component to partner cause.
- Traceable Marine Plastic B2B Sales: Supply of Traceable Marine Plastic pellets to other brands and manufacturers for use in their own product lines. Contact through [email protected] for material enquiries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sunglasses - £66 to £175 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Litter Picking Equipment - £7 to £48 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adventure Kit Boxes - £28-£44 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pocket Knives - £18 to £34 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards - £10 to £100 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Waterhaul product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waterhaul recovers lost and discarded fishing gear (ghost gear) from UK coastlines and recycles it into sustainable physical products, principally sunglasses, prescription eyewear, litter picking equipment, folding pocket knives, and adventure storage boxes made from Traceable Marine Plastic. It also sells Traceable Marine Plastic pellets as a raw material to other brands and operates limited-edition co-branded product collaborations with conservation organizations and lifestyle brands.
Product overview
Waterhaul is a UK-based ocean conservation company that recycles ghost fishing gear and marine plastic into sustainable products. The core offering centers on eyewear (sunglasses in Horizon, Coastline, and Prescription collections) made from Traceable Marine Plastic, complemented by litter picking equipment, folding knives, and adventure storage boxes. The product portfolio includes limited edition collaborations with Dolphin Project and World Cetacean Alliance, plus brand partnerships through Circular&Co, POTR, and Gomi. The company also supplies Traceable Marine Plastic pellets to other manufacturers and offers a batch traceability QR system enabling end-to-end supply chain transparency from port to pellet. The portfolio operates as a unified platform centered on ocean plastic recovery, with products designed to drive demand for expanded marine plastic recycling operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Traceable Marine Plastic™: A proprietary recycled marine plastic polymer system that allows consumers to trace exactly where the fishing gear used in products was recovered and recycled, from port to pellet.
Products and services
- Coastline Collection Sunglasses Sunglasses collection with frames made from Waterhaul's Traceable Marine Plastic and lightweight, ultra impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, designed for outdoor and water-sport use across styles Lamorna, Towan, Mylor, Botallack, and Trevellas.
- Horizon Collection Sunglasses Premium sunglasses with frames made from 100% recycled Polypropylene fishing gear, available with Polarised Mineral Glass+ or Mineral Glass+ lenses, including bestsellers Fitzroy, Kynance, Harlyn, Pentire, and Droskyn.
- Prescription Sunglasses and Glasses Custom prescription eyewear made to customer specifications, available as prescription glasses or prescription sunglasses. All frames made from Traceable Marine Plastic with up to 2-week production time.
- Eyewear Accessories Accessories including cork glasses/sunglasses cases (Standard and XL sizes), lens cleaning cloths, and adjustable retainer straps made from upcycled fishing net, designed to complement Waterhaul eyewear.
- Ocean Positive Litter Picker Sustainable litter picker made from 100% recycled fishing gear with recycled aluminium shafts and Recycled PET string, available in Adult (33") and Kids (22") sizes with replacement parts and video guides.
- Ocean Positive Recycled Litter Picking Bag Hoop Lightweight, durable bag hoop made from 100% recycled ocean plastic for easy rubbish collection during litter picks and beach cleans.
- Think Green Litter Picking Gloves Gardening-style protective gloves for litter picking, beach cleans, and outdoor cleanup activities.
- Waterhaul Ocean Positive Litter Picking Kit Bundle combining litter pickers and accessories for beach clean activities, offered at discounted bundle pricing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96,169 KG of marine plastic recycled from UK coastline
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Waterhaul
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Waterhaul technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Waterhaul partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Dolphin ProjectcoreLimited edition Rescue To Recycle sunglasses collaboration. Frames made from dolphin rehabilitation pen netting combined with UK fishing gear. £35 donated per pair to Dolphin Project. Supports Umah Lumba Rehabilitation Center in Bali.
- Sea ShepherdcoreSpecial edition black pocket knife with Sea Shepherd branding. £5 donated per knife to support ocean conservation campaigns. Handle made from recycled monofilament gill nets.
- World Cetacean AlliancecoreLimited edition sunglasses from fishing gear recovered from humpback whale entanglement rescue in Algoa Bay, South Africa. £37.50 donated per pair. Individually numbered frames with rescue coordinates.
- Circular&CocoreReusable insulated coffee cup with outer wall made from Traceable Marine Plastic. Leak-proof Trust-Lock lid, 2-year guarantee, 100% recyclable. 8oz and 12oz sizes.
- PotrsupportingSelf-watering origami plant pots made from recycled HDPE fishing gear. Flat-pack delivery, wicking cord self-watering system. 11cm and 15cm sizes.
- GomisupportingBluetooth speakers with casings made from Traceable Marine Plastic. Portable power bank components.
- AllDay GoodssupportingSantoku kitchen knife with handle made from Traceable Marine Plastic.
- Moulded EarplugssupportingEarplug filters and chords incorporating Traceable Marine Plastic.
- Poca AudiosupportingSpeaker components and peg stakes using Traceable Marine Plastic.
- PlabersupportingCrushproof, watertight carry cases made with Traceable Marine Plastic.
- CmonstasupportingWetsuit hangers incorporating Traceable Marine Plastic.
- Surfers Against SewagecoreClean-up partner for Million Mile Clean initiative. Turn collected rubbish into useful tools for future clean-ups. Quotes highlight circular economy message.
- Sea-ChangerssupportingClean-up partner providing grants for beach cleanups. Grant recipients receive Waterhaul equipment discounts.
- Clean CornwallsupportingRegional cleanup partner coordinating Cornwall coastline cleaning efforts.
- A Future Without RubbishsupportingCoastline Runner initiative partner working with schools, councils, and MCS volunteers for cleaner coastlines.
- Earth Action North DevonsupportingDay of Action partner with 900+ volunteers. Plastic pollution cleanup using Waterhaul litter pickers.
- NHBS (Natural History Book Service)supportingRetail customer using Waterhaul litter picking equipment for company beach cleans. Testimonial endorser.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Waterhaul competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sea2See: Italian eyewear brand producing sunglasses and frames from recovered marine plastic. Direct competitor in the recycled-marine-plastic eyewear segment with overlapping coastal/European consumer base.
- Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that recovers ocean-bound plastic and processes it into Social Plastic pellets for brand supply. Comparable to Waterhaul in combining impact narrative with B2B pellet supply.
- Sunski: Sustainable sunglasses brand selling recycled and bio-based eyewear DTC with a similar premium-but-accessible price band. Direct competitor in the eco-conscious sunglasses segment.
- United By Blue: US-based B-Corp that removes one pound of plastic from waterways for every product sold and manufactures apparel and accessories. Similar mission-led DTC consumer brand model with embedded impact metric.
- Tide Ocean Material: Swiss company producing recycled ocean-bound plastic pellets for B2B supply into fashion, footwear, and consumer goods. Closest analogue to Waterhaul's Traceable Marine Plastic B2B pellet business.
- Bureo: Chilean/US company that makes sunglasses, skateboards, and other consumer products from recycled fishing nets. Most directly comparable to Waterhaul in product category and ghost-gear recovery mission.
Broad incumbents
- Patagonia: Established US sustainable outdoor brand with extensive use of recycled materials and a 1% for the Planet giving model. Sets the bar for mission-driven outdoor brand economics and pricing power that Waterhaul's category aspires toward.
- ECOALF: Spanish sustainable fashion brand using recycled materials including ocean plastic across apparel, footwear, and accessories. Larger and broader portfolio than Waterhaul but overlapping recycled-material consumer brand positioning.
- Parley for the Oceans: Marine-conservation collaboration platform that partners with major brands (Adidas, etc.) on ocean-plastic materials. Comparable mission and material-licensing approach but operates at significantly larger scale.
Emerging players
- Recover Brands: Small US apparel brand manufacturing basics from recycled materials. Comparable in scale and mission-led positioning but focused on apparel rather than eyewear or marine-recovered feedstock.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Waterhaul social profiles
Digital presenceWaterhaul financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waterhaul leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Waterhaul funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waterhaul M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Waterhaul
What does Waterhaul do?
Waterhaul recovers lost and discarded fishing gear (ghost gear) from UK coastlines and recycles it into sustainable physical products, principally sunglasses, prescription eyewear, litter picking equipment, folding pocket knives, and adventure storage boxes made from Traceable Marine Plastic. It also sells Traceable Marine Plastic pellets as a raw material to other brands and operates limited-edition co-branded product collaborations with conservation organizations and lifestyle brands.
Is Waterhaul a public or private company?
Waterhaul is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Waterhaul founded?
Waterhaul was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Waterhaul based?
Waterhaul is headquartered in Newquay, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Waterhaul make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Eyewear Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessories & Tools, brand Collaborations and traceable Marine Plastic B2B Sales.
Who are Waterhaul's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sea2See, Plastic Bank, Sunski, United By Blue, Tide Ocean Material and Bureo. Broad incumbents are Patagonia, ECOALF and Parley for the Oceans. Recover Brands is listed as an emerging player.
Does Waterhaul have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waterhaul.
What industry is Waterhaul in?
Waterhaul's product category is Sustainable Eyewear & Outdoor Gear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAIAE, Surf & Beach Sports Retail (Surfboards, Bodyboards, Skimboards), with a secondary code of IMAJANAF, Pollution Response & Environmental Salvage (Oil Spill, HAZMAT). Its NAICS code is 42393 and its SIC code is 3851.