COSTA MESA, CA — June 26, 2024 — Billabong, the globally recognized surf and lifestyle brand, today announces the release of its most sustainable range of wetsuits built-to-date. The groundbreaking project, coined “Upcycler,” has been years in the making, representing a world-first, with a combination of multiple technologies rolled into one wetsuit, now included across their entire performance range.
This innovative initiative combines discarded post-consumer textiles for jerseys and wetsuit liners and repurposes post-consumer discarded wetsuits into raw ingredients for the internal rubber. Additionally, Billabong has made a crucial shift by transitioning all synthetic rubber to an all-natural FSC-certified rubber formulation sourced from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. These three major steps mark a significant leap toward creating the most sustainable wetsuits built to date.
“At Billabong, we design, build and repair all of our products to be as durable and long-lasting as possible,” emphasized Scott Boot, Global Director of Wetsuits at Liberated Brands, the brand’s core operating partner across North America. “Unfortunately, products eventually do reach a point where they can no longer fulfill their duty but innovative solutions like upcycling old clothing and wetsuits eliminates the need for new/virgin petroleum fossil fuel derived materials and prevents them from entering landfills.”
Traditionally, wetsuits were primarily made of neoprene, derived from the polymerization of chloroprene and including approximately 25% carbon black, a petroleum by-product. In the current landscape, Billabong’s partnership with Bolder Industries, a Boulder, CO manufacturer, old neoprene is processed, extracting a type of recycled carbon black known as Bolder Black.
In 2024, Billabong looks to propel the industry forward. The brand takes pride in prioritizing genuine, tangible performance and sustainable material advancements for the future of wetsuits.
Posted: June 26, 2024
Source: Liberated Brands / Billabong
