Recycled neoprene

Before being cut into several slices of a specific thickness, the neoprene is cooked and then shaped into a clean, rectangular slab.

That process involves material waste, which SHEICO recycles and re-uses into finished products, then avoiding industrial wastes that ends up in landfills.

Unique supplier

We have a single, trustworthy supplier with whom we have been closely working since 2012.

SHEICO is a Taiwanese company that produces our goods in Cambodia, and they also produce most of the world’s premium wetsuits. Manufacturing around 45 million wetsuits a year, they can have a huge impact on the global wetsuit market’s CO² emissions.

Most of the following green technologies have been discovered and implemented by SHEICO themselves. As their customer, we are choosing to use them.

SHEICO claims that a wetsuit with all the greener technologies listed below emits 24% less CO² than a standard wetsuit. If all SHEICO customers chose to implement all these just like we do, then the whole industry would save 12,1 million kg of CO² emission every year.

We did not create these. We just chose to use them.

Recycled jerseys

MAGMA

This model features a 83% recycled nylon outside jersey and a 100% recycled nylon inside jersey.

It helps reduce waste as well as limit the production of new raw material.

ALT

This model features a 83% recycled nylon outside jersey, a 100% recycled nylon inside jersey, and a 45% recycled fleece.

It helps reduce waste as well as limit the production of new raw material.

Limestone

All our neoprene goods are derived from limestone rather than petrochemicals.

However, if you think that limestone is much better than oil, think twice. Limestone is a limited, nonrenewable mineral that must be extracted from the earth. Creating neoprene from it is an energy-intensive process and is thus not so superior in terms of environmental impact than petroleum.

We still chose to use limestone to reduce our dependency on oil and its derived chemicals. Besides, a limestone spill is much easier to clean up than an oil spill, meaning less danger to the local environment.

If you are looking for a wetsuit with a reduced environmental impact, we have what you need: The ALT. This new model is made from Yulex Pure® natural rubber which claims to reduce the overall carbon footprint of a wetsuit by 80%. 

Why don’t we manufacture all our wetsuits with Yulex Pure®?

Our Yulex Pure® wetsuits are around 30% more expensive than our highest priced wetsuits.

We do understand that not everybody can afford it. We are here to help passionate people make the most of their time in the water, and not to only target a higher social class.

While we and other brands will launch more and more natural rubber wetsuit models, the price of raw material should become more and more affordable. Then, bit by bit, we will be able to switch all our neoprene goods to Yulex Pure®, without our customers breaking the bank.

Recycled carbon black

Carbon black is mostly used as a colorant and reinforcing ingredient in the rubber tires industry. It also happens to be a key ingredient in the manufacturing of neoprene.

It also happens to be a key ingredient in the manufacturing of neoprene.

At SHEICO, carbon black is sourced from pyrolyzed used tires, which reduces energy consumption and saves around 200 g of CO² emissions per wetsuit.

Aqua glue

The glue that binds the jersey fabrics to the internal neoprene foam is now water-based instead of solvent-based.

This removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs), thus providing a healthier working environment for employees and a cleaner wetsuit against your skin.

Dope Dyed Yarn

Dyeing the fabric consumes a lot of water, so the threads that make up our fabrics are dyed before being woven. This considerably reduces water usage while reducing energy consumption and water pollution.

For other colors, SHEICO has invested in a new generation of dyeing machines which consume 60% less water.

*Only on our black models.

Solar energy

The energy that our suppliers use is a crucial part of a brand’s carbon emissions. Having an eco-design is useless if your product is made using non-renewable energy.

Therefore, SHEICO factories are equipped with solar panels to limit the use of fossil fuels, generating around 6,038,486kWh per year.

Compostable/biodegradable packaging

We must protect our wetsuits from any contact with humidity or the sun so that they preserve their qualities when they arrive in the shop. Shipping wetsuits without a proper protection could cause irreparable damages to the neoprene. 

Consequently, we have been working to find the best alternative to classic plastic polybags:

• A recyclable "pizza box" made of 70% recycled cardboard.
• A compostable/recyclable bioplastic bag (PLA).
• Compostable/recyclable bioplastic (PLA) anti-crease tubes.

More info on our partner’s website: minima.com