Researchers plot path to UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility

A plan to develop the UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility is among eight new projects being considered in a collaboration between five universities and the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).

The projects are being funded by a £1 million (EUR 1.2 million) pot from Future Fibres Network Plus which aims to bring environmental science into the heart of the UK fashion, clothing and textile sectors.

Neoprene challenge

Many wetsuits are made from neoprene but the UK currently has no way of recycling them, meaning more than 380 tonnes is burned or landfilled each year. Led by the University of Plymouth and working with industry partner Circular Flow, the project will examine the scope for developing a UK neoprene recycling facility.

In June, Recycling International reported on a new recover and repair scheme for wetsuits in Cornwall.

Dr Kayleigh Wyles, associate professor in environmental psychology at the University of Plymouth and project lead, says: ‘Our project will investigate the level of interest among UK businesses for returning end-of-life wetsuits and accessories to a UK facility where they can be turned into new and useful products.’

‘We also aim to understand consumers’ willingness to purchase and wear recycled neoprene products and explore the logistics of developing a recycling facility.”

Bulgarian pioneer

Circular Flow already has a facility in Bulgaria but one in the UK would be seen as a significant development.

‘Many of those who buy and wear wetsuits have a genuine interest in the environment, and therefore in the sustainability of these products,’ adds Emma Major-Mudge, head of sales and commercial partnerships at Circular Flow.

‘However, wetsuits are one of the hardest products to recycle and the possibility of opening a recycling facility in the UK is very exciting.’

Future Fibres Network Plus is a network led by the University of Exeter, collaborating with the universities of Plymouth, Leeds, Huddersfield and University of the Arts London, and the UKFT.

Other projects:

• Fabriotic (led by Northumbria University in partnership with Procter & Gamble): Sports clothes are typically discarded prematurely because they develop a bad smell known as ‘permastink’. Fabriotic will pilot clothing containing bacteria spores that could give athletic clothes a longer lifespan.
• Bio-Based Sequins (led by University of the Arts London in partnership with Sequinova): Sequins are made from non-biodegradable plastics and toxic dyes and are usually thrown away after use. This project will develop a sustainable manufacturing process for cellulose-based, recyclable sequins.
• All Cellulose Composite (led by University of the Arts London in partnership with Ananas Anam UK and Salt): Using fibres made from pineapple, this project aims to broaden the use of natural fibres. Potential applications include structured materials for the luxury hospitality sector, automotives, footwear and accessories.
• UP (Unlocking potential of post-consumer textiles (led by the University of Leeds in partnership with UKFT and ReLondon): This project will map and assess how used textiles are sorted and graded in the UK and evaluate what textiles are required by key organisations that reuse or recycle them.
• Coloration in Flow (led by the University of Leeds in partnership with Keracol): Dyeing fabric has a high impact on the environment, both in terms of energy and materials. This project will investigate the possibility of reducing this by dyeing fibres during wet-spinning (spinning fibres into yarns while they are in a liquid state) as opposed to more traditional methods.
• Increasing Textile Circularity (led by the University of Plymouth in partnership with Plan B Recycling Technologies Ltd): This project will develop a pre-recycling treatment process to improve recycled polyester quality. It will address barriers to fibre recycling, examine the levels of microfibre release during laundry and create a knowledge repository to optimise recycling processes. 
• Future Fibres CollaborAcademy (led by University of the Arts London): This project will enable post-grad and doctoral students from the environmental and materials sciences, textile and fashion design to come together and explore their differences and common ground.