Every angler has lost a lure. It snags on a log, the line snaps, and you watch it disappear beneath the surface without a second thought. But that lure doesn’t disappear. It sits on the bottom of a lake or river, often for decades, slowly breaking down into microplastics or leaching lead into the water you fish.
On this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sat down with Jonas Urwyler, angler and co-founder of Capt. Greenfin, a Swiss company on a mission to change that story. Capt. Greenfin is developing lures, hooks, jigs, and weights that catch fish just as reliably as conventional tackle, but without leaving plastic or pollutants behind.
The Problem Hiding in Every Tackle Box
Most soft plastic lures are made from PVC or similar plastics that never fully break down. Add in lead weights and jig heads, and the fishing industry has a pollution problem that most anglers never think about. Jonas and his co-founders saw an opportunity: what if the bait itself could disappear safely back into the ecosystem?
Building a Lure from Garlic and Amino Acids
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was hearing how Capt. Greenfin formulates its baits. Instead of starting with plastic, they start with natural, non-toxic ingredients like garlic and amino acids to create protein-based baits that are plastic-free and biodegradable. Fish are drawn to the scent and texture, anglers get a lure that performs, and nothing toxic ends up in the water if it’s lost.
Getting there wasn’t a straight line. Jonas was candid about the trial and error behind the formulas, including ingredients that worked great in a lab but fell apart on a hook or didn’t survive a cast. That kind of honesty is rare, and it’s part of what made this conversation so valuable.
Tackling Lead, One of Fishing’s Oldest Problems
Lures aren’t the only issue. Lead weights and jigs have been a quiet source of water and wildlife contamination for generations. Capt. Greenfin is working on lead-free alternatives, which comes with its own set of engineering challenges: weight, sink rate, and cost all have to work for the end angler, not just for the environment.
Packaging Matters Too
Sustainability doesn’t stop at the lure itself. Jonas also shared Capt. Greenfin’s work toward more sustainable packaging, including pursuing Cradle to Cradle certification, a rigorous standard that evaluates a product’s full lifecycle, from material health to recyclability. It’s a reminder that real sustainability in the outdoor industry has to go beyond the product and into everything that surrounds it.
What Gives Jonas Hope
What stuck with me most from this interview was Jonas’s outlook. Changing an entire industry’s supply chain and material choices is slow, often frustrating work. But he’s optimistic about where the fishing industry is headed, and about anglers’ growing willingness to choose gear that protects the waters they love to fish.
Why This Conversation Matters
At Emerger Strategies, I work with fishing and outdoor brands every day on sustainable packaging, GHG accounting, and retailer compliance. Conversations like this one with Jonas are exactly why I started The Sustainable Angler: to show that sustainability innovation in this industry isn’t theoretical. It’s happening in labs and workshops right now, built by people who fish and want to keep fishing for generations to come.