LONDON (CBS) A British company is looking to make surfing more sustainable with the world’s first recycled wetsuit.
For surfers, having a good wetsuit is almost as important as having a good board. But UV rays, saltwater and wear and tear can quickly take their toll.
“Most wetsuits only last two years and after that there’s no known kind of guidance about what to do with them at the end of their life,” said Tom Kay, the founder of sustainable outdoor brand Finisterre.
Most are made with neoprene, which doesn’t break down. Often, wetsuit waste ends up in landfills.
Kay, who is an avid surfer, hired scientist-turned-wetsuit-designer Jenny Banks to find a solution.
“The thing about neoprene is that it’s a thermoset. It basically means that it’s processed in a way that can’t be reversed. So that’s why it’s so challenging to be recycled,” Banks explained.
Now, after two years of research and experiments, Finisterre believes it’s found a way to chemically re-engineer wetsuit materials so they can be reused.
“In the hope that when we get to the recycling stage with that wetsuit, the quality of the material that we can reclaim will be much better,” Banks said.
Right now, it’s just a prototype. The real thing is still about a year and a half away. Creators say when the recycled wetsuit does hit the market, it will cost the same about the same as a regular wetsuit.
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