Even the most beloved wetsuit will reach breaking point at some stage. Keep your wetsuit alive and turn your old suit into new neoprene with Alpkit and Circular Flow.
Wetsuits and other neoprene products have traditionally been impossible to recycle with an estimated 8,380 tonnes likely to end up in landfill every year.
Circular Flow has created an effective and sustainable solution to recycle neoprene which is the result of six years development in partnership with The University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Bulgaria.
We're delighted to partner with Circular Flow and make it easy to recycle your old wetsuit.
How to recycle your wetsuit
Wetsuit recycling has never been easier:
- Drop of your wetsuit at one any of our 10 stores or locations or send it direct to us using our returns service
- We'll sort it and send to Circular Flow
- Circular Flow will turn your old wetsuit to new neoprene.
- Alpkit makes new neoprene products using this recycled material
Recycling is obviously preferable to landfill but there are other options to consider as well.
Re-use
First up, is re-use. Through Alpkit Continuum, we constantly look at ways for us and our customers to give outdoor gear a longer life and through our network of charitable partners we found a new home for 8 tons of unwanted gear. And given it to people that need it right here in the UK.
Repair
Next, bring your wetsuit in to our Wetsuit Hospital (*cough*, we mean repair station). Repair is always a first option. We can have a look to see if it can be repaired.
Re-purpose
Lastly, if it's well past the point of return, then re-purposing or up-cycling come in to save the day.
We’ve partnered with Dirtbags Climbing, for a number of years now and they are always looking at ways of up-cycling and re-using old kit. Jenny Wood said:
“Being part of the Alpkit Continuum project has been a really positive experience. Not only for us but for the customers who bring old outdoor items in to store, it means they are also able to donate products that aren't necessarily usable again in their current state. As an upcycling project, we can use the items that can't be sent to the charities and therefore saving them from ending up in landfill. Broken, old or unsuitable things like wetsuits, faulty returns or climbing rope: we upcycle these goods. taking the usable components like the buckles, zips and fabric panels that are still good.”
We've partnered with Dirtbags Climbing, who use them to create new products, From laptop bags to ‘human coasters’ (neoprene mats for standing on/getting changed after a swim)!
If re-use, repair or repurpose aren't appropriate then recycle is the way to go.
How to donate your wetsuit
Send us your old wetsuit using our free returns service as Alpkit Foundation will pay the postage:
1. Put your wetsuit into a bag or box, ready to post.
2. Create a mailing label on our Royal Mail Returns Page. Choose Continuum as the reason for your return and type "Continuum" in the order number box. If you'd like the parcel to be collected from your house, Royal Mail will do this for 60p. Just select this option on the screen after you create your label.
3. Print off the label and stick it to your parcel.
4. Drop it off at the Post Office (unless it's being picked up!)
5. Start dreaming about your wetsuit's new life! Maybe you will cross paths again.
Join The Circle ... its not just wetsuits
Through Alpkit Continuum, we constantly look at ways for us and our customers to give outdoor gear a longer life and prevent it from ending up in landfill. Maybe unloved, maybe loved too much and beyond repair!
Current campaigns include:
- down duvets, pillows, sleeping bags and jackets to recycle into new outdoor products with ReDown
- Sleeping Bags to send to the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey with ShelterSuit
- any unwanted outdoor and camping equipment
We’re constantly keeping the journey going by taking all sorts of outdoor equipment and clothing. Check out all the other avenues they take at Alpkit Continuum
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