Surf GearMaterials: Neoprene Alternatives And Innovations

Eco-friendly surfers lower carbon footprints and help to preserve marine environments. Whether surfing foam, wetsuits, or sustainable accessories like leashes, creative materials and designs enhance the whole surf experience. Choose BioPrene's biodegradable wetsuits to cut out the need for oil-based rubers. Alternatively think of Yulex natural rubber, a traceable plant-based substitute for neoprene derived from guayule trees.

BioPrene

Popular among environmentally aware surfers, Bioprene is a flexible, permeable, insulating closed-cell foam created from Denka's chemical pellet production. Apart from being a more sustainable substitute for conventional limestone neoprene, the material breaks down without releasing dangerous chemicals or poisons during manufacture. One more creative wetsuit material is Yulex, a plant-based neoprene substitute combining seashells, sugar cane, and natural rubber. Designed in partnership with Patagonia, this environmentally friendly substitute for conventional neoprene is totally traceable and lowers wetsuit carbon footprint by up to 80%. Important for ensuring that wetsuits remain functionally efficient, the new material also has the same technical and performance properties as petrochemical-based neoprene.

Limestone Neoprene

Most surf gear consists mostly of neoprene. Once it wears out or winds up in landfills, this petroleum-based product sadly leaves a path of pollution behind it and is not biodegradable. Made from natural limestone instead of petroleum, limestone neoprene is a variation on conventional oil based neoprene. It results from specific technology changing calcium carbonate. After melting and processing the limestone into chloroprene rubber chips, this transforms it into a new, more ecologically friendly kind of neoprene. This substance stays practically as light wet or dry unlike oil-based neoprene, which absorbs water. The nitrogen closed-cells in it also provide great warmth and flexibility. This translates into a wetsuit that fits better, feels better, and won't stretch out of shape or go loose with time. Products with this environmentally friendly neoprene come from top surf companies including Xcel, Vissla, and O'Neill. Without the bad environmental effects, they can provide the same elongation and insulation as conventional oil-based neoprene.

Natural Rubber

Neoprene can be replaced sustainably from renewable plants by natural rubber. Manufacturers include Sheico and Patagonia combine 15% of chlorine-free synthetic polymer with 85% natural rubber imported from Malaysia. This lowers petrochemical emissions while also giving surfers the comfort, warmth, and adaptability they want for. Although environmentally friendly wetsuits might not be as good as conventional wetsuits, their insulation from dangerous chemicals and absence of hazardous materials qualifies them as a worthy purchase. When selecting wetsuits, seek certifications including the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Select a surf wetsuit manufactured from renewable, non-petroleum materials such bioprene, yulex, or sheico for a really green one. Along with promoting fair-trade policies and the preservation of natural resources, these substitutes for neoprene lower greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel usage. These materials not only have ecological advantages but also are recyclable and biodegradable. Finally, choose a wetsuit with creative dying and glueing processes and recycled lining to cut environmental effect even more.

Yulex

Patagonia wetsuit skunk works started looking for a substitute for the finite limestone-based neoprene used in most surf gear that would be as good for the earth as it was for surfing. Now, with the first and only Yulex wetsuits produced from hevea natural rubber, they have achieved that aim and more in Fall 2016. Though with up to 80% reduced CO2 emissions per suit, the wetsuits have all of the thermal insulating and flexibility of neoprene. Harvested just using minimal energy, the hevea rubber comes from sustainable, Forest Stewardship Council-certified farms, therefore lowering its total impact. You won't have to worry about your wetsuits ending up in the landfill when you're done with them either since they are a biodegradable material that can be recycled. With luck, soon there will be national neoprene recycling programmes akin to the one Patagonia began.