Last updated:
Press Release
Creating premium carry wear from Project Blank wetsuits
On average, 800,000,000kg of textiles are thrown away every year. That’s the equivalent weight of 1,600,000 elephants, 640,000 double decker buses or the whole population of New Zealand, twice.
Globally, 87% of this is sent to landfill or incinerated.
380,000kg of this waste comes from materials used in manufacturing wetsuits.
We’re aware that as an industry, we have a long way to go to be completely sustainable. No brand is perfect, no solution is absolute. If we put our heads together, however, we can come up with ways to cut down on this waste.
We’re super excited to launch three new initiatives that aim to reduce our contribution to landfill by reusing, repurposing & recycling old products.
Upparel
We’ve partnered with the legends at Upparel, offering consumer a chance to upcycle old clothes & wetsuits, earning credit to spend on our website when they do so.
Upparel are on a mission to reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfill every year, making it as easy as possible for consumers to reuse, recycle and, where possible, upcycle.
As part of our mission to “close the loop” in our manufacturing process, we can’t wait to see the positive impact this partnership will have in both reducing textile waste and in our wider pursuit of a happier planet.
Project Blank x Into Carry
It’s estimated that 380 tonnes of waste generated from wetsuit production ends up in trash dumps every year. At Project Blank, we’re always on the lookout for ways to drive sustainability in our business, so when we discovered the work Into Carry were doing, we reached out straight away.
We are super excited to announce that by partnering with Into Carry, we’re offering surfers a new way to upcycle their old wetsuits, creating bespoke carry bags & accessories.
Luke Phillips started Into Carry with a love of craft, a keen interest in the bag industry and a passion for the planet. Initially utilising waste materials such as broken tarps and umbrellas, he loved the challenge of upcycling our wetsuits into highly functional, completely sustainable carry bags.
Sustainability shouldn’t be a chore and it doesn’t have to be monotonous. We hope this partnership is a great example of this and we hope Project Blank’s innovative approach to sustainability inspires other businesses to see waste as a resource too. Trash comes in all shapes and sizes so when we’re designing a bag, we make sure we can build it from all sorts of materials. When the opportunity came to upcycle wetsuits on their way to the bin, we jumped straight on the sewing machine and found a way to turn it Into Carry.”
Luke Brooks – Founder, Into Carry
The Bags
We’re super excited to announce the launch of a limited-edition range of bags, made from upcycled Project Blank wetsuits. The range includes:
The Café Racer Backpack (RRP $259) – Heaps of space for your laptop, lunch and anything else you need in your day-to-day business. The Cafe Racer backpack is the perfect mix of business and casual. Feel confident heading into a meeting, without heading to dinner looking like you just left one.
The Landscape Tote (RRP $199) – A simple, spacious work-life companion. With comfy upcycled straps, long enough to carry over your shoulder, and a large interior, open top and ability to stand upright, the bag is designed to enhance accessibility while on-the-go.
The Mini Sidekick (RRP $129) – Compact, easy, sustainable. The mini sidekick is your perfect companion for everyday activities. Nice and snug over your shoulder for when your pants pockets don’t quite have enough room.
The Upcycled Laptop Case & Pouch (RPR $109)
As a further development to our partnership with Into Carry – providing YOU the chance to upcycle your old wetsuit into two brand new products – a laptop case & a Pouch.
For less than $100, the team at Into Carry will use the materials from your old wetsuit to create these awesome new products that are completely unique to you, send you back the finished article.
Reusing, repurposing & recycling old materials wherever possible in our manufacturing process is a major contributor to our pursuit of a happier planet. We’re stoked to be able to offer you the chance to do the same.
For more information about the upcycling program, head to: https://projectblank.com.au/collections/intocarry
In Pursuit of a Happier Planet
We are a community of green-minded ocean lovers, united in our pursuit of a happier planet. Across all aspects of our business, we’re constantly on the lookout for ways to increase sustainability and ensure the only trace we’re leaving, is footsteps in the sand.
Into Carry shares this mindset, working to restore their relationship with materials and goods by designing products that upcycle waste without compromising quality or functionality.
To learn more about our sustainability program, please head to:
https://projectblank.com.au/pages/sustainability
About Project Blank
We are a community of green-minded ocean lovers, unified in our pursuit of a happier planet.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Project Blank. That means cleaner manufacturing, bio-degradable packaging, and tangible partnerships that impact the environment & communities we live in.
For more information on our pursuit of a happier planet head to:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectblanksurf/
About Into Carry
Born from a love of bags and a passion for the planet. Into Carry is the change that Luke (the bag-maker person) wanted to see in the world.
Considering most of our day jobs don’t involve day hikes, we set out to build carry wear that helps calm the chaos of modern work & life.
The result is a growing family of modular bags that can adapt and grow (almost) as well as we can.
We love building bags from waste but it’s only one part of our sustainable product lifecycle. To make sure your bag stands the test of time, we offer free repairs. To make sure it stays functional, it can adapt with our growing range of modular attachments.
At some point, our relationship with materials became passive. We’re on a mission to restore it. With our existing love for carry wear, we set out to design a truly sustainable, truly functional suite of adaptable bags.
For more information about Into Carry, please head to:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intocarry.co/
