Upcycling / Recycling Your Wetsuit

The purpose of Neofuze is to help you fix problems when sh#!t happens. CLICK HERE to learn how to repair a wetsuit that just needs some TLC to keep it from leaking.  However there are times when too much sh!#t happened to your suit and there is no coming back. What do you do with all your old suits that you either don’t use any more or are past the point of repair? Below I’m going to give you some ways to upcycle or recycle your old unused wetsuits. Wetsuit recycling has come a long way in recent years.

So you have some wetsuits that you have repaired multiple times and are past the point of no return. If you’re like me you have a couple of wetsuits that you keep around as a backup suit so that you have a dry wetsuit for that second session of the day. Over time that “backup” suit gets used less and less and eventually not at all. Having an environmental conscious, I always just held onto those suits because the thought of them going into a landfill bothered me. I was constantly looking for a simple solution. 

Below I am going to show you a couple of options of things you can do with your wetsuits that you no longer use. Obviously there are different levels of wear on wetsuits. I’ve seen wetsuits that have been worn so much and broken down that there is no neoprene left in the knee and shoulders. For the purpose of this article we are going to focus on those suits that are past the point of no return.

Recycling Worn Wetsuits

There are a lot of great companies coming out that are recycling or upcycling old wetsuits into new products. Some offer incentives and discounts for their products when you donate wetsuits to them. Some give you free product, some don’t. Either way your are helping to keep unused wetsuits from going into landfills, and that is a good thing!

Suga

Suga is a company that recycles wetsuits into yoga mats and changing/meditation/door mats. Suga offers 4 options for mats. The SugaMat measures 72″ x 25″ (183cm x 64cm), is 5mm thick, and weighs just under 5lbs. The XL SugaMat measures 74″ x 26″ (188cm x 66cm), is also 5mm thick, and weighs just over 5lbs. Our new Travel SugaMat is 72″ x 25”, 3mm thick, and weighs just under 3lbs. Surf Changing mat, meditation mat, door mat, floor mat – call it what you want but it’s made of recycled wetsuits and kicks ass.Measures 26″ x 20″ and 3mm thick.  2lbs.

Furthermore, Suga has a host of locations in the southern California area, mainly concentrated in the San Diego as well as a few locations in British Columbia, Canada. Click here for more information. They ask that when you drop off your wetsuits that they are dry. If you are not located in these areas you can mail in your DRY wetsuits to: Suga, LLC, 1106 2nd Street, Suite 862, Encinitas, CA 92024 They ask that you include a note with your wetsuit with your name and email so they can send you your 10% discount code on their products. 

Click here for more information on their recycling program and host of products.

Kassia + Suga

Kassia Wetsuits is a wetsuit manufacturer that is working with Suga to collect wetsuits to be recycled.  They have partnered with Suga not only to collect wetsuits from the public but also to collect and recycle the neoprene scraps from their cutting room floor.  Kassia has developed a discount program for the number of wetsuits that a person donates. So 1 wetsuit = 10% off, 2 wetsuits = 15% off and 3 wetsuits = 20% off (discounts only apply for orders over $80). They require a simple “wetsuit recycling form” that you just need to fill out before you mail your wetsuits to them. This is a great way to keep your wetsuits out of landfills and get a great discount on a great product. Click here for more information.

Lava Rubber

Lava Rubber is another company that upcycles your old wetsuits. They are located in Neptune, New Jersey. Their current selection of upcycled products include yoga mats, changing mats, dog and cat food and water mats, and their latest addition in which they partnered with Island Slipper from Hawaii to develop an upcycled sandal made from old wetsuits. This is a great company that is making a difference and keeping wetsuits out of landfills. Click here for more information.

Green Guru Gear

Green Guru Gear is a company built on the upcycling premise of taking wetsuits, bike tubes, climbing ropes, event banners, and event tents and repurposing them into sellable products. These products include backpacks, different bags for your bike, wallets, and belts. Their selection of products is very extensive and is ever growing. Click here to see the products.

Green Guru Gear is offering a discount code on their webstore for sending any of the above upcycling products to them. They are located in Boulder, Co but have partnered with multiple retailers across the country to provide collection bins for you to bring in your donations. For more information and donation procedures please click here. 

Wetsuit Wearhouse

Wetsuit Wearhouse is another company that participates in the Suga wetsuit recycling program. You can drop off wetsuits at their retail location or ship your wetsuits to them to receive a 15% off coupon towards products in their store. So if you are in the market for a new wetsuit it is worth contacting them for the proper procedures to mail in your wetsuit. I believe that you have to include your name, address and email with the suit that you ship to them and then they send you the coupon or coupon code. Click here to contact them and find out if they recycle boots and gloves as well.

Neocombine

Neocombine is a company located in France that is creating bracelets out of recycled wetsuits. They have set up a number of wetsuit collection locations in France. If you are located in France please contact them to find out the proper procedures for donation. Click here to find out more.

Reborn Rubber

Reborn Rubber upcycles donated wetsuits to make slim wallets. Sending in your wetsuit will get you a free slim wallet of your choice. Reborn Rubber excepts all brands, thickness and models of wetsuits, as well as hoods, and boots (they do not except gloves). Neoprene is buoyant and bendable which makes for a rugged wallet that will float if you accidentally lose it on the water. Furthermore, 10% of each purchase is donated to ocean clean up as well. Click here for more information and to contact them.

Rip Curl and Patagonia

Each of these brands offer recycling opportunities to recycle their respective brands wetsuits. Click here for more information about recycling your Patagonia products. If you are in Australia, Rip Curl has partnered with Terracycle to accept  wetsuits to recycle at their Rip Curl stores throughout Australia. Click here for more information.

Warm Current

Warm Current is a great non-profit organization that runs surf camps along the Washington coast. The camps teach Native youth to surf, empower them to explore their ancestral waters, and share the benefits of outdoor recreation in their own backyard. Donating your wetsuit to Warm Current will help them outfit their camp participants while they are out in the water. Click here for more information.

Amp Surf

AmpSurf™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to Promote, Inspire, Educate, and Rehabilitate (PIER) all people with disabilities and their families through Adaptive Surf Therapy and other outdoor activities. Click here to find out what the organization is looking for as far as donations.

There are so many options out there on what you can do with old wetsuits. Leave a comment below on anything that we may have missed or anything that you do to upcycle or recycle your old wetsuit. 

Lastly if your wetsuit still has some life in it and you just need to repair some of the leaks then our Neofuze Wetsuit Repair Kit is your solution! Click the button below to either purchase direct or if you have some Amazon gift cards lying around choose the Amazon button and you will be redirected to the Amazon listing.

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