Plant-based wetsuit wins environment award

Outdoor apparel company Patagonia was recognised at the Australian Surf Industry Awards, held on the Gold Coast earlier this month, for its environmentally friendly Yulex wetsuit.

The awards are held annually by the Surf & Boardsports Industry Association and the Yulex wetsuit won the Environment Award as a result of its manufacturing process that has reduced the use of the conventional neoprene, a synthetic, petroleum-derived material.

Patagonia’s search for alternative materials led to a partnership with Yulex, a company making plant-based biorubbers derived from the guayule plant. It is now making the Yulex wetsuit in a 60/40 blend (60% guayule, 40% neoprene). According to Patagonia surf ambassador Dan Malloy, “We can now grow our wetsuits, instead of drilling for them.”

Patagonia is currently pushing towards producing a suit made from 100% guayule. Furthermore, the company is making its proprietary biorubber available to the rest of the surf industry, reasoning that when volume goes up, prices go down, and more surfers can choose to purchase less harmful suits.

“We’re really happy with the win and it’s nice to be recognised,” said Patagonia Australia General Manager Dane O’Shanassy. “The Yulex suits have been a key line for us, as they reflect the essence of what Patagonia is all about — a real commitment to functional product with a minimum of harm to the natural world.”

The Yulex Nexkin wetsuit recently won awards for Environmental Product of the Year and Wetsuit of the Year at the 2014 Surf Industry Manufacturers Awards in the USA. But according to O’Shanassy, “The really rewarding part for us is that the wetsuits have been well received by the market, they’re being surfed in line-ups all around the country and the message is getting out there with both surfers and the surf industry itself.

“We’d love to see a day when all wetsuits are made from renewable materials, and we’re working hard to make that happen,” he said