Patagonia develop end-of-life wetsuit solution

ENVIRONMENTAL surf gear leader Patagonia has co-developed a groundbreaking circular solution for wetsuits.

Alongside sustainability experts Bolder Industries, Patagonia is turning its end-of-life Yulex wetsuits into carbon black to be used as dye for future use.

Since the start of the year, Patagonia has collected hundreds of Yulex wetsuits.

The wetsuits are then sent off to Bolder Industries to break down at the molecular level into BolderBlack, a carbon black alternative that replaces petroleum-derived carbon black as a rubber reinforcing agent and a black pigment in plastics.

The alternative uses 90 per cent less water and 90 per cent fewer greenhouse gases than traditional carbon black.

Patagonia surf product line manager Hub Hubbard said as more of its Yulex wetsuits entered the market, circularity would only grow.

“We hope that this breakthrough in recycling and circularity will go well beyond the surf industry and will eventually be implemented across countless product sectors.

“Yes, other brands have offered wetsuit collections for recycling, but the wetsuits have so far only been broken down mechanically into things like yoga mats and playground material.

“We are constantly working to reduce our impact and share solutions within the industry.”

Patagonia’s journey into less toxic, neoprene-free wetsuit alternatives began when they partnered with Yulex in 2008 to develop a bio-based rubber as a replacement for Neoprene.

Patagonia material developer Mackenzie Warner said the breakthrough is evidence of their team always striving for innovation in the sustainability space.

“While collaborating on this material with Bolder Industries, we discovered that recovered carbon black from rubber scraps and Yulex wetsuits can be utilized to not only solution dye wetsuit materials but also black fabrics and trims to make products such as packs and jackets.

“We are excited to continue to find new ways to use this innovative new material and share it with industry.”

The first Patagonia wetsuits containing reclaimed BolderBlack are set to go on sale in the summer of 2025.

Patagonia has an Australian base in Baines Crescent in Torquay.