STEPPING IT UP: EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES OF SURF GEAR & THE ENVIRONMENT
EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES OF SURF GEAR AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
For Surfgirl Magazine Print Issue 78 2023
Surfing is an incredible sport in that in it’s very participation, we are enveloped into nature’s raw beauty in one of its purest forms. However, when it comes to the kit we use in order to play in the world’s oceans, the detrimental affects, from production phase through to end of life cycle, are unquestionable. This a topic that is being answered by many surf brands and businesses, such is the pressing urgency of the environmental challenges our planet faces. We explore how the world’s biggest brands and independent businesses are stepping up to the mark.
Words Sophie Everard
Starting this new year, the pressing gravity of the critical issues our planet faces has never felt more urgent. From dire floods in California to forest fires in Australia, Germany and Southern Europe, rising sea levels in Fiji and catastrophic floods in Bangladesh that displaced an estimated 7.2 million people. Though high-profile head of state meetings have received much media attention and promise of change, greenwashing was a key issue at the Cop27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh last year, following the previous summit in Glasgow where all 197 countries agreed to bring improved climate action, though only 27 fulfilled that promise.
Many authorities are are stepping up to the mark to tighten the rules on greenwashing and increased transparency, and this includes businesses themselves. Gabe Davies, Patagonia’s Ocean Marketing Manager, explains how inherent greenwashing is within surf brands, suggesting that “this is not industry leading compared to what is possible. The surf industry is not changing the game in the slightest. At best, most brands are adding a few products here and there, that have a more responsible footprint, and then they shout about them. I honestly thought the surf industry would lead the way with its heritage in the counter culture movement and innovation, but I am mistaken.”
Gabe proproses that major leading change will not emanate from the major surf brands themselves, but surfers, who will “make positive choices wherever they can, and force the brands to align with what is required.” It certainly seems like consumers eyes are open, and they are now thankfully loudly demanding transparency and eco-conscious products, as well as being more alert to claims being made. Billabong kicked off their journey towards better eco-business practices in Spring 2016 with their first Surf Capsule swim in a Carvico Recycled Nylon fabric, followed by Recycled Boardshorts in Spring 2019, and Recycled Wetsuits in Spring 2020. According to Global Design Director Leila Heydari this was “was something you weren’t really seeing in the surf space, we knew that if we built it, our customers would respond to it.” Indeed, customers have been responding to that strategy, as Leila explains, “the growth and response from our customer has been even more successful than we predicted and enabled us to change 100% of our Swim, Boardshort, Sun Protection and Neoprene ranges to full recycled fabrics in Fall 2021”. Consumer appetite is clearly there, keen for transparency, and for utisiling kit and materials that come with less damaging effects on the environment.
Similarly over at Roxy, a conscientious approach to operating has come into practice, Stephanie Micci, Global Creative and Design Director explaining that “we make a concerted effort to start at the source, fibers. Over the last few years, we have integrated recycled and natural fibers into many of our products. That being said, we still have work to do, and consistently push ourselves to improve our sustainability measures on a daily basis. It’s like that saying, “you are the company you keep”. Consumers want to interact with brands that are aligned with their value set. It matters that products are made in a way that is both respectful and appreciative to the people that make them, as well as to the environment. We truly value our community, and as such want to have an authentic, transparent conversation. As we continually work to better our practices, we are simultaneously asking ourselves, “how can we best share our process with our community?”.
As Gabe over at Patagonia suggests, “we all need products to surf!” However, he does believe that brands are still falling really short, “as they misinform around product sourcing and it’s footprint. There is a huge amount of greenwash happening, particularly with regards to limestone wetsuit as being eco, which is just a myth. Other raw materiels such as Yulex, can reduce CO2 footprint of your wetsuit by 80%. It’s still not a ‘sustainable product’, but it’s the type of innovation that needs supporting, as it’s by far the very best we have right now. No brand is perfect, I’d love to see progress on brands adopting proven product improvements and making decisions based on more than just sourcing cutting cost and cutting corners. Either the environment or the supply chain will pay the cost of a heavy carbon footprint, on a product that could be best in class.”
British-born B-Corp certified, cold water surf brand Finisterre has long been associated with their innovations. Founder and President Tom Kaye told us that “I founded Finisterre in 2003 with the idea of building a brand that be pioneering and shake things up, making better product in a better and more sustainable way has always been there. The business exists to drive change, something we have committed to since day one. We are still on that journey, but I’m really proud of where we stand today.” Finisterre’s innovations are mighty, from their long-term project introducing circularity to the wetsuit industry, a thorny, difficult area such is the problematic nature of neoprene’s life cycle. Finisterre’s “Wetsuits From Wetsuits” project, launched in 2017, is working hard to turn used wetsuits into new cold-water gear. Globally, an estimated 8,380 tonnes of old wetsuits end up in landfill each year. Due to their complex material structure they have been almost impossible to recycle. Not a simple problem to solve, and Finisterre have invested in significant research and development into clean alternatives to neoprene, and their whole wetsuit range has now been converted to Yulex Pure®, a natural and renewable source of rubber that produces 80% less carbon dioxide and uses ten times less water in production than traditional neoprene. However, Finisterre believes this “still did not solve the ultimate end-of-life problem”, Tom adding “there have been great advances in eco wetsuits and the search for alternatives to petroleum-based neoprene, but the real elephant in the room for the water-sports industry is what to do with a wetsuit at the end of its functional life.” It’s admittedly a “big commitment” from Finisterre, who now have employed the UK's first wetsuit recycling technician. We will definitely be excited to see where their next phase takes them. Equally, Gabe asserts that for Patagonia, one of their most proud developments has been their work with Yulex, adding “ together (with Yulex) we have produced a wetsuit that can perform as well as petrochemicals and limestone-based neoprene, which comes from naturel rubber sources. Hats off to all the other brands that have embraced that massive step forward in wetsuit technology”.
This embrace towards Yulex also stems to independent retailers, who arguably have a more challenging go of it without larger sums to invest. Janaya Wilkins, Founder & CEO of women’s swim and activewear brand SLO Active, who have worked with Yulex since their inception and maintain a slow fashion approach to the heart of their business model, told us “I wanted to start a company that utilises capitalism in a good way; with an offering that is relevant to the people who care about the cause, which is why we have put our giving model right at the forefront of the business. The SLO brand was founded on the ethos that our choices have an impact. Every consumer decision you make is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. The fashion industry is the second biggest global polluter, after oil, that benefits heavily from the fashion industry at every point of the supply chain. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle that needs to be broken. Globally, there is not enough being done in the fashion industry to stop the pollution of our air, land, and sea. We are not big on the traditional fashion model that tends to encourage fast consumerism driven by surface level, seasonal trends – the very cause of our worldwide environmental crisis. We don’t release products seasonally, with one collection per year. SLO describe themselves as a “social enterprise”, and with every piece purchased, they donate to their charity, Earth to Ocean, which works to aim increase ocean literacy across communities at a local level, with the end goal to help restore ocean health.
When talking to different brands and business leaders, it feels like it isn’t a linnear process, and they are often willing to put their hands up and admit the areas that are lacking and where they still plenty of room to grow. Danny Clayton, Founder of independent business Surf Gypsy, initiated a pause on her business in in 2015 when she decided to “handbrake the business and really question the quality and life cycle of my product, the quality of life for the people who made it, and the impact our small business could make, or help facilitate, in our global community of oceanwomen (because we're all connected right). Put simply, I was pretty frustrated with the status quo of the fashion and surf industries at that time…Since 2016, we've been manufacturing in Australia, paying higher than award rates for veteran machinists of the AU fashion manufacturing industry, and sourcing quality imported textiles made from recycled nylon yarns from AU distributors. Kind of like farm to table except: just-up-the-highway-from-us-direct-to-your-door lol.”. It seems many independents have been meaningfully leading the charge when it comes to impactful business practice, bubbling up from the grassroots. As we enter into this new year, it’s not just consumer want driving change, it’s the resolutely clear fact that our planet is in danger, and we all, especially businesses, need to take action.