Outdoor apparel brand Finisterre is proud to announce the launch of the From Wetsuits Changing Mat – their first ever product made from recycled wetsuits. Designed to carry wet gear and double as a durable changing mat, this innovation marks a major step forward in tackling one of the surf industry’s biggest sustainability challenges.
Every year, an estimated 8,380 tons of old wetsuits are discarded globally, ending up in landfill due to their complex construction. But after years of research and development, Finisterre – in partnership with circular economy pioneers Circular Flow – has created a solution.
Through Finisterre’s wetsuit take-back program, over 1,000 wetsuits were collected and deconstructed by Circular Flow to recover usable materials. Each suit is manually disassembled to remove zips and non-neoprene parts, which are sorted into appropriate recycling streams. The remaining neoprene – including its inner linings – is then processed into new material sheets.
The result is the From Wetsuits Changing Mat – a robust, flexible gear carrier crafted from 80% recycled neoprene and 20% recycled polyester. The first run of mats has already repurposed 339 wetsuits, giving them a second life in the hands of ocean-goers.
What’s more, the circular journey doesn’t end there. Once the mat reaches the end of its life, customers can return it via Finisterre’s partnership with Reskinned, ensuring it goes back to Circular Flow for further recycling – a process that can be repeated up to seven times before final repurposing into industrial materials like insulation.
“We are incredibly proud of all the work the crew put into making the From Wetsuits changing mat happen,” says Tom Kay, Founder at Finisterre. “We’ve always believed in protecting what we love, and this project is about taking responsibility for the products we create – and re-creating them again and again.”
The From Wetsuits Changing Mat is available now from Finisterre.com and in select stores.
