Is Eco-Friendly Limestone Neoprene Just Marketing Tool?

Is Eco-Friendly Neoprene Real to exist? Or is this just a case of marketing tool, designed to draw dollars from those who are trying to do the right thing?

Maybe It's only natural for people who love the outdoors so much to care about protecting our planet and preserving the beautiful spaces they enjoy. Those people who enjoy diving, surfing or kitesurfing, wearing a wetsuit may present this easy question.

It's a little tricky to answer honestly. At fact, we don't really believe that any neoprene is truly environmentally friendly. However, some are definitely better than others, so delving into the topic can help you become a smarter shopper. For example, exploring the difference between oil-based neoprene and limestone neoprene can help you understand the potential impact of your choice the next time you shop for a neoprene wetsuit.

OIL-BASED NEOPRENE

Neoprene is a synthetic rubber first developed by DuPont in the 1930s. It's made by mixing together melted polychloroprene chips, a foaming agents and pigments, then baking the mixture together to form a thick sponge. Traditionally, petroleum products have been used to make polychloroprene chips. Therefore, making the material requires drilling, harvesting, transporting and consuming a non-renewable resource called petroleum. Clearly, these should occur an environmental cost.


LIMESTONE NEOPRENE

Oil is a finite resource, and extracting, processing, and transporting it is energy-intensive and potentially dangerous. Limestone is also a finite resource. However, it is much more abundant and harvesting it has less environmental impact. It has been used for countless purposes over the centuries, and now Yamamoto from Japan has perfected the technique of making neoprene from limestone. Instead of using petroleum products to make polychloroprene chips, the key component of neoprene, Yamamoto used calcium carbonate from limestone. This change resulted in a greener neoprene with significant benefits for the environment and wetsuit users.