Whenever I get down about the prospects for the planet (or, at least, human life on the planet), there is always Patagonia to amaze with their commitment to sustainability (in a very practical sense). As the article in the url below demonstrates, Patagonia continues to push the boundaries in terms of what is possible, in an industry that is known for its excessive levels of waste:
"Starting next year, Patagonia's wetsuits won't just be recycled — they'll be reincarnated. At the company's 'Wetsuit Forge' repair and design center, located a few blocks from the beach in Ventura, California, a first-of-its-kind wetsuit is draped over a table. The suit looks and feels like any other, but it's made in part from used Patagonia wetsuits broken down at a molecular level. It too will be melted down at the end of its life and reborn into a new, lower-carbon wetsuit."
This sounds like not such a big deal, given that lots of items are recycled. But, if you read the detail of the article, what Patagonia has achieved seems (to me, at least) to be both an impressive achievement, and a step forward for the industry, as a whole:
"The prototype is the product of a years-long initiative by Patagonia to eliminate much of the waste that accumulates when a surfer buys a new wetsuit. While the outdoor apparel retailer guarantees a lifetime of repairs for wear and tear, eventually the day comes when the racks of old wetsuits awaiting mending in Ventura can no longer be stitched back together. Some are recycled into yoga mats or tote bags, but inevitably, they all end up buried in landfills. Just how many old Patagonia wetsuits end up as part of $500 reincarnated versions depends on the volume of discarded wetsuits the company collects. But the strategy is ushering in a potentially repeating cycle that would yield the ultimate, immortal wetsuit."
Specifically, the key appears to be one element of the wetsuit, carbon black:
"Despite surfing's one-with-nature vibe, most wetsuits are the sartorial equivalent of an oil spill. They're made from neoprene, a petroleum-based synthetic rubber. (Many wetsuits sold in California even carry a state warning that they can expose you to chemicals known to cause cancer.) Patagonia is collecting end-of-life wetsuits for a partner that vaporizes them to reclaim what's known as carbon black, a key ingredient in neoprene and in the natural rubber Patagonia uses. It's the petroleum-derived element that gives wetsuits their strength and jet-black color. Whether carbon black can be infinitely recovered remains to be scientifically validated, but reusing it keeps old wetsuits out of landfills. The reclaimed material also avoids carbon dioxide emissions from the production of virgin carbon black, a ubiquitous ingredient in tires, plastics, inks and electronics. The material's $19.3 billion market, which is expected to grow 66% by 2032, emits as much as 79 million metric tons of CO2 annually from the combustion of tar oil and other petroleum feedstocks."
Complicated (and impressive) stuff.
Take care
David
David Chandler
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Patagonia Is Cracking the Code on Endlessly Recylable Wetsuits
By Todd Woody
May 2, 2024
Bloomberg
