With tonnes of wetsuits ending up in landfill every year, one charity is hoping the notoriously hard to recycle items can be turned into a force for good. It is estimated that some 380 tonnes of non-recyclable neoprene are generated each year. Thanks to Cornwall's premier reputation as a holiday destination and as the UK's surfing capital, some 50 per cent of this waste originates in the county making it a wetsuit graveyard.
Now one children's charity thinks it has found a solution that will be good for the planet and will help raise vital funds so it can carry on helping people through surf therapy. The Wave Project, which is based in Newquay, is the The Wetsuit Reuse Scheme has received £116,000 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, a £137m local investment fund managed by and funded by the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The project sees the Wave Project work with recycling company SUEZ to collect discarded wetsuits so they can be repaired and sold on in the charity's shop or upcycled into new items.
Under the scheme, dedicated wetsuit recycling bins are placed at Cornwall Council household waste recycling centres, managed by SUEZ. The discarded suits are collected and transported to a brand-new repair workshop in . A team will clean, and if necessary, mend the wetsuits for resale at the charity's high street store.
The Wave Project said its prices range from £20 - £60 which is a fraction of a new wetsuit, meaning visitors and locals.
