Peak PS has announced a major step forward in sustainable paddlesports gear with the expansion of its Circular Ready initiative and the launch of a new line of products built from end-of-life neoprene. The work arrives through a close partnership with Circular Flow, a company reshaping how our industry thinks about waste.
Neoprene has long been a stubborn material. It is produced from nonrenewable sources such as rubber or limestone, both of which carry heavy carbon footprints. The Circular Flow estimates that more than 23,000 tonnes of neoprene scrap and offcuts are either incinerated or buried in landfill every year. It is an entrenched problem across surf, dive, and paddlesports, and until recently there were few viable options for dealing with it.
Circular Flow addresses this by turning old neoprene into new raw material. The company collects, sorts, and cleans waste neoprene, strips away hardware such as zips and fasteners, shreds the remaining material, and reconnects those particles into new blocks of Reneoprene. The method preserves the original textile laminates and avoids harmful chemicals. The resulting material behaves differently from virgin neoprene, but retains the durability needed for a wide range of gear. Reneoprene is now a registered trademark, marking a milestone for the technology and its growing role in sustainable manufacturing.
Anyone with Peak-branded neoprene, other than shoes or boots, can return end-of-life items directly to Peak PS for recycling.
Peak PS has been preparing for this shift by saving its own production scraps for the past two years. And that loop now extends to paddlers themselves. Anyone with Peak-branded neoprene, other than shoes or boots, can return end-of-life items directly to Peak PS for recycling. The company consolidates all collected waste at its UK facility and sends it to Circular Flow for processing. Larger organizations can contact Peak PS to arrange bulk returns. The goal is simple: no Peak neoprene should end up in a landfill.
The new Circular Ready neoprene range includes the Multi Mat, Roofrack Wraps, Mouse Mat, and Desk Mat. All are built from recycled neoprene and finished with recycled polyester face fabrics, and all can be recycled again at the end of their life.
The Circular Ready program extends beyond neoprene to minimize the need for virgin fossil-fuel-based materials. Peak PS continues to develop apparel conceived from the start for deconstruction. A traditional paddlesports garment blends different plastics in a way that makes recycling nearly impossible; Circular Ready products simplify these builds to a single polymer where possible, with features designed for easy breakdown at the end of their life. The PS Vest and the Adventure Lite jacket are the first of these pieces. Both use recycled sources, avoid unnecessary components, and are meant to be recycled at the end of their life. The Adventure Lite jacket, for example, is made almost entirely from recycled polyethylene and can be remade into textile yarn.
And more advances are coming! A future Bioskin range will draw on natural rubber, tea stalks, vegetable oils, and recycled seafood shells, reducing carbon impact even further. Circular Flow provides the foundation for this shift, and Peak PS has committed to designing gear that fits within a full circular system.
For more information, read Peak PS’ latest blog.