Outdoor apparel retailer Finisterre has unveiled its first product made from old wetsuits, thanks to partnership with Circular Flow.
The ‘From Wetsuits’ changing mat has been designed to carry wet gear (see image, below) and double as a durable changing mat, and Finisterre said its development marks a major step forward in tackling one of the surf industry’s biggest sustainability challenges: what to do with hard-to-recycle wetsuits at the end of their lives.
It is estimated more than 8,380 tonnes of old wetsuits are discarded globally each year, and they typically end up in landfill due to their complex construction. Finisterre – in partnership with circular economy organisation Circular Flow – has sought to find an alternative solution.
Through Finisterre’s wetsuit take-back programme, more than 1,000 wetsuits were collected and deconstructed by Circular Flow to recover usable materials. Each suit is manually disassembled to remove zips and non-neoprene parts, which are sorted into appropriate recycling streams. The remaining neoprene, including its inner linings, is then processed into new material sheets.
The changing mats created as a result of using the broken down material are made up from 80% recycled neoprene and 20% recycled polyester. Finisterre said the first run of mats has already repurposed 339 wetsuits.
The retailer added that once the mat reaches the end of its life, customers can return it via Finisterre’s partnership with preloved fashion and material recycling company Reskinned, which means it will go back to Circular Flow for further recycling. It is estimated that the recycling process can be repeated up to seven times before final repurposing into industrial materials like insulation is viewed as the better option.
Tom Kay, founder at Finisterre, commented “We are incredibly proud of all the work the crew put into making the ‘From Wetsuits’ changing mat happen.
“We’ve always believed in protecting what we love, and this project is about taking responsibility for the products we create – and re-creating them again and again.”
Consumers can buy the products made from old wetsuits on Finisterre’s website and in some stores.
[image credits: Finisterre]
