British triathlon and open-water brand ZONE3 unveils its 2025 roadmap for circularity and sustainability, reinforcing its commitment to better product life cycle management and reducing environmental impact and waste.
These initiatives include:
- a continued partnership with Circular Flow to extend the life cycle of neoprene products through a circularity programme.
- the further integration of plant-based Yulex rubber into product lines.
- innovating biodegradable packaging solutions.
Circular Flow Partnership
ZONE3’s partnership with Circular Flow aims to drive product circularity for neoprene waste, a significant step in wetsuit and neoprene recycling. Circular Flow’s innovative closed-loop recycling process was developed in collaboration with the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Bulgaria and aims to divert 8,300 tonnes of wetsuit waste from landfill sites annually. This neoprene waste is turned into brand new products, significantly extending the life cycle of the material, promoting reuse, and create closed-loop systems for recycling.
In 2025, as part of ZONE3’s Circular Flow Partnership, ZONE3 will introduce wetsuit drop-off centres at all key events they attend. To further improve product circularity ZONE3 are launching a Wetsuit Repair Scheme in partnership with a reputable repair centre. This initiative will offer repair services to all ZONE3 customers, and ZONE3 will also provide a self-repair kit for at-home fixes.
Sustainable product design and innovation
In 2024, ZONE3 launched the world’s first biodegradable performance-focused wetsuit, the ZONE3 Vision. Built using an innovative new fabric from Yamamoto, the Vision degrades under standard landfill conditions. All wetsuits in the ZONE3 range are produced using water-based glue rather than solvent-based glue to bond seams, and wetsuit linings are made from recycled polyester – recycling 45 plastic bottles for every wetsuit produced.
The ZONE3 team is committed to using recycled fabrics throughout the brand’s collection. The ZONE3 swimwear collection is made using the Xfinity Renew fabric, a polyester yarn formed from recycled plastic bottles, while the thermo-tech robes contain thermal linings and moisture wicking from 100% recycled materials.
Packaging updates
For 2025, all ZONE3 consumer packaging will be replaced with durable, water-resistant mailing bags made from 100% recyclable and FSC certified materials, sourced from a local carbon neutral certified supplier.
ZONE3 hangtags use recycled paper and have reduced information on the tag by having a QR code linking to the website for more details. This enables the tags to be smaller and therefore create less waste.
Community and Impact
ZONE3 have partnered with Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) to help protect the UK’s coastal environments from single-use plastic, sewage pollution, and the climate crisis. This year, the ZONE3 team participated in the Million Mile Clean initiative, collecting 75kg of waste at Milford on Sea Beach, and ZONE3 is now proudly listed in the Ocean Network Directory.
A partnership with Level Water supports ZONE3’s mission of providing high-quality swimming lessons for children with disabilities.
For 2025, ZONE3 have put in place tools for carbon footprint measurement and will kick start a process of yearly reporting. They are also committed to introducing environmental awareness training to all staff alongside reviewing internal policies to ensure sustainability is integrated into every aspect of their operations, from procurement to waste management. Additionally, ZONE3 will engage their supply chain partners to align with their environmental goals and drive greater transparency and accountability throughout their value chain.
More information about ZONE3’s sustainability efforts and 2025 plans can be found: https://zone3.com/pages/zone3-sustainability
For press enquiries, please contact:
Sam Begg @ Aspire PR
sam@aspirepr.co.uk
+44 (0) 7860568812
