Liberated Brands Releases World's First Wetsuit Made From Post-Consumer Recycled Wetsuits and Textiles
Billabong, the globally recognized surf and lifestyle brand, today announces the release of its most sustainable range of wetsuits built-to-date. The groundbreaking project, coined "Upcycler," has been years in the making, representing a world-first, with a combination of multiple technologies rolled into one wetsuit, now included across their entire performance range.
This innovative initiative combines discarded post-consumer textiles for jerseys and wetsuit liners and repurposes post-consumer discarded wetsuits into raw ingredients for the internal rubber. Additionally, Billabong has made a crucial shift by transitioning all synthetic rubber to an all-natural FSC-certified rubber formulation sourced from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. These three major steps mark a significant leap toward creating the most sustainable wetsuits built to date.
"At Billabong, we design, build and repair all of our products to be as durable and long-lasting as possible,” emphasized Scott Boot, Global Director of Wetsuits at Liberated Brands, the brand’s core operating partner across North America. “Unfortunately, products eventually do reach a point where they can no longer fulfill their duty but innovative solutions like upcycling old clothing and wetsuits eliminates the need for new/virgin petroleum fossil fuel derived materials and prevents them from entering landfills.”
Traditionally, wetsuits were primarily made of neoprene, derived from the polymerization of chloroprene and including approximately 25% carbon black, a petroleum by-product. In the current landscape, Billabong’s partnership with Bolder Industries, a Boulder, CO manufacturer, old neoprene is processed, extracting a type of recycled carbon black known as Bolder Black.
In 2024, Billabong looks to propel the industry forward. The brand takes pride in prioritizing genuine, tangible performance and sustainable material advancements for the future of wetsuits.
ABOUT BILLABONG
Established in 1973 in Australia by visionary surfboard shaper Gordon Merchant, Billabong shares that magic feeling of wave riding with the world. This feeling comes to life in many forms; from award-winning board shorts and swimwear to a legacy of game-changing experiences in the ocean, on the mountains and beyond. Billabong is available in more than 100 countries worldwide and remains dedicated to making the wave riding experience unforgettable.
For more information, please visit www.billabong.com.
ABOUT LIBERATED
Liberated Brands is a global leader in the sport, outdoor, and lifestyle apparel industry, boasting a 30-year history of connecting with consumers through a relentless focus on brand cultivation, sports marketing, and immersive storytelling. Their products are sold in more than 100 countries through select department and specialty stores, in over 400 of their company-owned and operated retail stores, and select online stores, including 48 company-owned websites. Their mission is to leverage the company’s deep-rooted expertise in trend forecasting and brand development within the ever-evolving outdoor and lifestyle sectors to attract loyal customers worldwide. Based in Costa Mesa, California, they operate regional headquarters in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Their portfolio of brands includes Volcom, Billabong, Quiksilver, Spyder, RVCA, Roxy, Honolua, and Captain Fin.
For more information, please visit www.liberatedbrands.com.