Environment 

ON A JOURNEY TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

The sea is integral to Alder. Our harmony with the natural world means its protection is
extremely important to us and sustainability is fundamental to our approach. Below are some
of the steps we have taken to reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the
environment.

● We design hardy and durable products. We want each item we produce to be fit for
purpose and built to last. This is especially true for our wetsuits and neoprene range,
where every small detail is checked and tested

● Since our inception, we are exceptionally proud to have offered an in-house repair
service to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and extend the life of our
wetsuits and boards. We take responsibility for our products at every stage before,
during and after their use

● Our in-house repair service also allows our repair team to better understand our
customers, our products and their use. We can respond quickly to issues and use
their feedback to design better, longer-lasting products in the future

● We resell old or unwanted products. Customers can buy second-hand Alder gear at
our workshop priodically through the year.

● As well as supporting the reusing and reselling of wetsuits, we also repurpose
neoprene, using it as mulch mats for young trees at Alder Farm.These mats reduce
weed competition and also cut back the need for chemical sprays and mechanical
strimming

● Our office and workshop is rooted in Devon and has been for the last 60 years; this
proximity to nature is fundamental to our approach. For example, we are in the
process of installing photovoltaic panels and staff are encouraged to cycle to work
with a “ride to work” government scheme

● We are committed to reducing packaging waste by replacing plastic with biodegradable
bags or card where ever possible including our wetsuits which are packed in 100%
compostable 100% degradable S0043/ CERT # 891000.

		LIMESTONE NEOPRENE We use limestone to replace petrochemicals in our neoprene, it has less environmental impact.
		ECO CARBON BLACK Carbon Black, one of the key ingredients of neoprene, can now be pyrolyzed from scrap rubber tyres. This significantly reduces energy consumption and cuts CO2 emissions by 200g per wetsuit.
		AQUA ALFA GLUE Many of our suits use this water based glue eliminating harmful volatile organic compounds.
		DOPE-DYED YARN Dope-dying infuses dye pigments into molten plastic solution to produce coloured yarns without the dyeing process. This saves huge amounts of water, reduces energy consumption and water pollution. We are working to include this method wherever possible.
		100% COMPOSTABLE BAGS Most of the bag we use to protect our products during transport are made from plants which means they are completely compostable.
		OLD WETSUITS MAKE GOOD MULCH MATS The mulch mats suppress grass around the base of the tree reducing the need of chemical herbicide giving the new tree the best start in life.