Patagonia to say goodbye to “nasty” neoprene for ever
23/11/2015
For some years now, Patagonia has included in its wetsuit range a limited number of models containing plant-based material Yulex. From autumn 2016, the entire line of 21 wetsuits for women, men and children will contain no neoprene; all 21 will have Yulex.
“Surfers and wetsuit manufacturers, including Patagonia, have relied on neoprene for years, despite the fact that it’s a non-renewable, petroleum-based material with an energy-intensive manufacturing process,” said Hub Hubbard, Patagonia’s product line manager for wetsuits, at the time of the announcement. “Neoprene is nasty stuff, but for a long time we had no alternative. Through our partnership with Yulex we’ve invested in a plant-based game-changer and built it into our entire wetsuit line, saying goodbye to neoprene for ever.”
For his part, Jeff Martin, founder and chief executive of the Yulex Corporation, said his company could not have found a better partner than Patagonia to “champion this breakthrough for the surf industry”. He said the partnership was an example of how sustainable products can be brought to customers without sacrificing performance or cost-competitiveness.
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