Good Growth Fund Helps The Wave Project And SUEZ Launch Pioneering Wetsuit Recycling Scheme For World Environment Day

Leading UK surf therapy charity teams up with SUEZ for unique retail solution

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme has enabled The Wave Project and waste-management company SUEZ to launch a pioneering scheme to recycle Cornwall's mountain of discarded wetsuits.

The innovative project aims to tackle the estimated 380 tonnes of non-recyclable neoprene generated each year. With over 50% of this waste originating in Cornwall, the county has become a wetsuit graveyard.

The Wetsuit Reuse Scheme has received £116,000 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, a £137m local investment fund managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Support for local organisations is a key plank of the investment programme which encourages green and socially responsible enterprise. 
 
Under the scheme, dedicated wetsuit recycling bins are placed at Cornwall Council household waste recycling centres, managed by SUEZ. The discarded suits are collected and transported to a brand-new repair workshop in Newquay. Here, a team will clean, and if necessary, mend the wetsuits for resale at the charity's high street store. Prices range from £20 - £60 – a fraction of the average £420 cost for a new wetsuit. Any wetsuits beyond repair will be upcycled into new products like bags, pillows and mats. 

The pre-loved wetsuit scheme follows increasing urgency around solving the environmental crisis caused by fast fashion and throwaway culture. With clothing and textiles estimated to account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, initiatives like this offer a blueprint for a more circular economy for specialist gear like wetsuits. If successful, The Wave Project and SUEZ hope to roll out similar programmes nationwide, preventing tonnes of non-recyclable waste from ending up in landfill or polluting the oceans.
 
All profits will fund the charity’s programmes. Surf therapy especially has become an established and evidence-based form of therapeutic support for both mental and physical health.

Ramon Van de Velde, Chief Executive Officer at The Wave Project, said: “The Wave Project improves the health and wellbeing of children throughout the UK with surf therapy and the healing powers of the ocean. This pre-loved wetsuit scheme not only raises vital funds to enable the charity to help more children. It also makes the sea more accessible to people who can’t otherwise afford wetsuits, and of course importantly takes neoprene out of the waste-cycle. This really is a win-win-win. We are really grateful to the government’s Good Growth Fund and SUEZ for providing the funding to kick-start this project. If the Cornwall pilot proves successful, we hope to roll it out nationwide.”
 
Craig Mouatt, Processing Contract Manager for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK in Cornwall said:“We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with The Wave Project to support young people in Cornwall. As a triple bottom line business we are always looking for innovative ways to protect the planet whilst supporting the communities we serve, and through this initiative we can help raise funds to support the important work The Wave Project does whilst enhancing and protecting the environment. We look forward to continuing our relationship with The Wave Project to transform lives through surf therapy.”

The pilot project has been made possible thanks to £116,000 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, £22,500 from SUEZ and £7,500 from The Wave Project.
 
ENDS
 
Notes to Editors:
 
Media are invited to attend a photocall and interview opportunity with The Wave Project and SUEZ on Wednesday, 5^th of June 2024, 11am at Towan Beach, Newquay.

This event will provide:

• Photocall and interview opportunities with representatives from The Wave Project and SUEZ
• Potential to speak with Ramon Van de Verde, the new CEO of The Wave Project
• Chance to interview participants of The Wave Project's surf therapy programmes

 
Please confirm your attendance with by Monday, 3^rd of June 2024.  
 
For more information, please get in touch with Joy Corcec, Marketing Manager at The Wave Project via joyc@waveproject.co.uk or 07778421989.
 
 
About The Wave Project
Founded in 2010, The Wave Project offers the world's first surf therapy course funded by a government health service. Based in Cornwall, the charity has expanded across the southwest of England to North Yorkshire, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight, Brighton and London, and now includes 33 staff and over 1,500 trained volunteer surf mentors, with over 10,000 young people having accessed The Wave Project surf therapy courses to date. 
 
As an evidence-based intervention, surf therapy is recognised by the NHS, local authorities and psychiatric services as an effective tool in improving the well-being, outlook, self-esteem and confidence of children and young people.
 
Together, great things can happen.

Visit The Wave Project website – www.waveproject.co.uk
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About the Shared Prosperity Fund
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperityfund-prospectus
 
About SUEZ
SUEZ is a leading global provider of environmental solutions. With over 160 years of experience, we use innovative solutions that achieve smart and sustainable management of natural resources in the UK.