Patagonia develops end-of-life solutions for wetsuits
Outdoor brand Patagonia has co-developed a circular solution for wetsuits with Bolder Industries.
Earlier this year, Patagonia began collecting end-of-life Yulex (natural rubber) wetsuits so that they could be broken down at the molecular level to be used as carbon black in the dyeing process of future Yulex wetsuits.
Carbon black is used to dye the wetsuits' recycled nylon lining and accounts for about 15 - 20% of Patagonia wetsuits’ rubber foam. Production of Bolder Industries’ BolderBlack uses 90%+ less water and emits 90%+ fewer greenhouse gases than traditional carbon black.
Patagonia’s journey into neoprene-free alternatives in wetsuit materials began when they partnered with Yulex in 2008 to develop a bio-based rubber. This wetsuit rubber comes from the sap of the hevea tree, instead of crude oil or limestone. Four years later, it released its first neoprene-free wetsuit, and first ever Yulex wetsuits; in 2014, gave the biorubber recipe to the wetsuit industry at large, and in 2015 announced it would move away from neoprene completely.
In 2020, Patagonia built an on-site wetsuit research, development and repair centre, called the Wetsuit Forge, to put their best repair and design minds under one roof. The teams could take their learnings from the most common repairs, use it to influence the design of their new Yulex Regulator wetsuits, and test prototypes in California. In 2023, these wetsuits were updated with new materials and designs and are now better performing, more flexible, and easier to repair. They have a lifetime warranty and now have an end-of-life solution.
Patagonia collects end-of-life wetsuits in their Wetsuit Forge, where zips are removed, and the suits are shipped to Bolder Industries. Here carbon black is extracted from the wetsuits and other rubber scraps such as car tires. The reclaimed material then goes to Patagonia’s manufacturer, Sheico, where the new wetsuits are manufactured.
The first Patagonia wetsuits containing reclaimed BolderBlack are set to go on sale in the spring of 2025.
