The Story of Recycled Lobster Rope Doormats
Not only are these colorful, durable mats a unique way to grace your front door, they also have a wonderful backstory. In March 2009 a federal law went into effect banning the use of floating lobster rope used by fishermen because of an increasing number of North Atlantic Right Whales becoming entangled in the rope. The float rope connected millions of lobster traps at the bottom of the ocean, creating a spider web of arcs and entanglement hazards. With only 300-400 whales remaining in the sea, even the loss of one of these majestic whales was a threat to the entire species.
When they turned in the used float rope, fishermen received credit vouchers to help purchase new, safer sinking rope that did not pose a threat to the marine wildlife. However another problem arose - tons and tons of leftover, used floating lobster rope that had no home. Instead of sending it to landfills, it was woven into these authentic and colorful doormats that are a true piece of nautical history.
Beyond the initial effort to clean up this leftover rope, Lobster Rope Doormats are an everyday solution as fishermen turn in their rope even today, offering an outlet for this still-useful, repurposed rope rather than contributing to the ongoing problem of ocean pollution.
Each mat is woven from the colorful ropes available at the time, and now two will ever be the same. Available in 3 sizes and each doormat is approximately 1.25" thick.
