Billabong launches 'Upcycler' wetsuits

Billabong on Wednesday unveiled its most sustainable wetsuit range to date with the launch of the 'Upcycler' collection.

The Upcycler collection combines post-consumer discarded textiles for t-shirts and wetsuit linings and post-consumer discarded wetsuits, and transforms them into raw materials to create the inner rubber.

Additionally, Billabong has switched from synthetic to natural rubber, using FSC-certified rubber from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. These steps collectively position Upcycler wetsuits as the most sustainable on the market.

“At Billabong, we design, manufacture and repair all of our products to be as durable and long-lasting as possible,” said Scott Boot, global director of wetsuits for Liberated Brands, the brand's primary operating partner in North America.

“Unfortunately, products eventually reach a point where they can no longer perform their duty, but innovative solutions such as recycling old clothing and wetsuits eliminate the need for new or virgin materials derived from fossil fuels and prevent them from ending up in landfills.”

Traditionally, wetsuits have relied heavily on neoprene, a material derived from the polymerization of chloroprene, which contains approximately 25% carbon black, a petroleum byproduct. Billabong's collaboration with Boulder, Colorado-based Bolder Industries processes old neoprene, extracting a recycled form of carbon black known as Bolder Black, significantly reducing environmental impact.