Billabong announced this week the unveiling of its most sustainable wetsuit to date, the Furnace Natural, the brand’s latest innovation in wetsuit technology.
Utilizing Yulex natural rubber (100 percent neoprene free) and Ciclo-infused 100-percent recycled jersey (Ciclo helps in the sustainable degradation of the product in both landfills and the ocean), the Furnace Natural is available for both men and women in a variety of thicknesses, including 4/3, 3/2 and even a 1mm top.
While neoprene has long dominated the wetsuit market, the product is extremely harmful to the environment. Neoprene is made from petroleum, does not biodegrade and it’s estimated that more than 400 tons of neoprene are thrown away each year. Billabong’s Furnace Natural wetsuits are proudly 100% neoprene free.
Utilizing Yulex natural rubber in place of neoprene, the Furnace Natural does away with synthetic rubber all together. Yulex is the only commercially available rubber that boasts a Forest Stewardship Council certification. Billabong sources the material from a sustainable farm in Guatemala.
The Furnace Natural also utilizes yarn made from recycled PET (plastics). The yarn is weaved into the wetsuit’s recycled outer jersey and inner liner, which is also infused with patented Ciclo® technology, an additive that is infused at the inception of the fabric’s lifespan. Ciclo breaks down fibers in the Furnace Natural over time that aid in the sustainable degradation of the product in both landfills and the ocean.
As with all of Billabong’s line of Furnace wetsuits, the Furnace Natural also utilizes the Nobel Prize winning material Graphene. Invented by André Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, Graphene is an innovative fabric that rose to notoriety by being a superlative heat conductor, allowing the wearer to get warmer faster and for a longer period of time.
Billabong is known as the leading boardshort and bikini brand committed to the leading edge of surf culture. Founded in 1973 in Australia by visionary surfboard shaper and designer Gordon Merchant, Billabong says it is laser-focused on sharing the magic feeling of waveriding with the world. Merchant originally envisioned a world where surfers and the surf-inspired feel special — like they’re the luckiest people on the planet. Now distributed in more than 100 countries across the globe, Billabong remains dedicated to his original vision.
