Peak PS won the sustainability award for 2024 at the Paddlesports Show for their ground breaking 'Circular Ready' Paddlesport Vest PFD and Adventure Lite jacket. Both new products are born out of their ever evolving 'More Sustainable' ethos. These items have been designed to be deconstructed. They are Circular Ready with the ultimate goal of being recycled back into raw materials at the end of their life.
From Peak PS:
"Traditionally all outdoor garments are linear in their existence, with beginning and end points to them that are not linked. Linear manufacturing starts with the production of raw materials from non renewable, unsustainable sources. These materials are processed into technical components that are then manufactured into a finished garment. The garment is then purchased, (hopefully) thoroughly used, enjoyed and cared for until diminishing performance levels brings an end to its usefulness. At this point the garment is unfortunately, more often than not, discarded into landfill.
Circular based manufacturing reduces the need for virgin (new) fossil fuel based raw materials and minimises the waste of resources. For circular manufacturing and recycling to be a reality, garments have to conceived and designed differently. Circular products by design have to create the link between the end of a garments usable life and the start point of a brand new one. To be able to recycle garments successfully back into usable raw materials, circular products, their materials and features, have to (where possible) be produced from the same singular material. Furthermore, the design and construction needs to be taken into account to make deconstruction at the products end of life, a simple task.
Current products are complex in components and contain may different plastics / polymers. Some components such as the textile fabric of a waterproof garment contain several different plastics such as nylon, polyurethane and polyester.
Moving forward we need to construct garments using simple plastics that can be easily separated, recycled, and then ultimately made back into itself again….. A circular economy….
Our valued supplier Pertex has developed a single polymer fabric called Revolve. All three layers within the fabric and their lamination adhesive is made from recycled polyethylene / polyester, making a Circular Ready garment a reality.
Our latest innovation is to design and construct garments with the goal of using one single polymer in their construction. For example if we choose to make a jacket from polyester ( polyethylene ), then all elements within the product, where possible, need to be of polyester / polyethylene composition. This applies not only to the main materials, but also the thread, velcro, seam seal tape, webbing, cord and plastic parts.
Adventure Lite Jacket
Photo by Peak PS
High performance, light weight and highly breathable touring / sea kayaking jacket. This ground breaking piece of kit is made almost entirely of recycled polyethylene. It is intended to be recycled at the end of life and its polyethylene content remade into textile yarn once again. This garment has been designed to be deconstructed. All non-essential components such as rubber badges, cord ends and pocket hooks have been removed.
Fabric: Pertex Revolve Mono Polymer fabric. 3 layer light weight recycled polyester including the breathable membrane and tricot lining. High performance light weight 20,000mm Water Proofing. 20,000g/24hr Breathability. PFC free water repellant finish.
Waist, neck and outer wrists: Bioprene. Made from bio sourced, not fossil, oil and calcium carbonate from waste sea food shells. Lined with recycled nylon.
Inner Wrist seals: Evo Latex. Bespoke seals that scale in size with jacket.
Additional Components: Reflective water based screen printed logos. Polyester zip pullers made from the jackets fabric off cuts. Polyester hood draw cord with recycled polyethylene cord locks and simple tied knots instead of cord ends. Recycled polyester / polyethelene YKK zips with recyclable metal sliders. Polyester thread. Polyester seam tape. Polyester Velcro.
Paddlesport Vest PFD
Photo by Peak PS
Performance cut PFD based around our popular Racer Pro / Marathon Racer models, with a single large front pocket for a drinks bottle or snack pouch. Perfect for all active paddlesports including touring, racing and paddleboarding. The flotation foam throughout the PFD is removable, to give the option of replacing it, reusing it again, and to make simple the deconstruction of the device for recycling at the end of its useable life. This ground breaking piece of kit is made almost entirely of polyester and polyethylene. It is intended to be recycled at the end of its life and the polyethylene content remade into textiles and foam once again. This garment has been designed to be deconstructed. All non-essential components such as pocket clips, webbing end terminals and additional zip pullers have been removed.
Fabric: 600D recycled ripstop polyester with no polyurethane coating. Overlocked and reinforced to provide increased strength and durability.
Foam: Polyethylene Webbing:
Polyester Buckles: Acetal. Can be reused or recycled separately.
Additional Components: Reflective water based screen printed logos. Polyester zip pullers made from the PFD's fabric off cuts. Recycled polyester / polyethelene YKK pocket zip with recyclable metal sliders. Polyester thread. Polyester Velcro.
Both of these exciting new products can be returned to Peak Paddlesports at their end of life for recycling. We’ll separate the different components and send them to our recycling partners for processing. Sadly, the jackets latex seals currently cannot be recycled.
This new technology and manufacturing method is changing at lightning pace. We are currently in close discussions with many textile recycling partners to find the way to close fully the circular loop. We will update our story as it evolves… "
By Philip Clegg
With over two decades of working in the sea kayaking industry, Phil can be found on a daily basis coaching for Sea Kayaking Anglesey. That's when he's not expeditioning, playing or putting kit to the test.