Kayakers may think that they are among the most environmentally conscious people out there, as nature lovers and such, but a lot goes on behind the scenes that we don’t really think about. Neoprene, magical material that it is, does have some environmental impact stemming from the materials and process used to make it. Todd Copeland at Patagonia has a good explanation about the environmental impact of neoprene made from petroleum versus limestone. TLDR? Petroleum neoprene is bad because of oil, limestone neoprene is bad because of the mining.

But now there may be a third option that has recently been developed by a company called GreenSmart.

Neogreene is the GreenSmart trade name for the collection of products made from a proprietary formulation of thermoplastic elastomer foam. TPE-G2 foams provide the unique physical properties of traditional rubber foam products but with the processing efficiency of plastics.TPE plastics have long been used in automotive, electrical, and toy industries however a TPE foam suitable for sportswear application had yet to be introduced. Our neogreene formulation has been modified to also match the Shore A value a hardness test method similar to SBR, rubber, and CR neoprene foam. This modification opens up the opportunity to offer the performance and environmental benefits of neogreene for bags.

No word yet on if and when there are plans to use this for wetsuits, gloves, or little wet booties for your kayak-loving little feet. But we are one step closer to being even more smug and self-righteous about our ever increasing eco-consciousness!

via GreenSmart | toxicity report.

For those of you who like to DIY, you may find yourself working with neoprene from time to time whether you are making your own spray skirt or kayak seat, or patching up some of your gear. However, you can’t always expect the neoprene you cut yourself to be as clean as the pieces coming out of the wetsuit factory. There are several outfits that cut neoprene industrially. The methods they use are usually better suited for mass production, and include die cutting, laser cutting, and even water jet cutting. Die cutting, for example, requires a blade shaped specifically to cut the shape of the part – this means it’s not worth it to die cut a single part, but can be very efficient for high volume production. Laser and water jet cutting require expensive equipment that no one in their right mind would purchase for a low volume job.

If you are cutting neoprene for a DIY job or a prototype, you have a number of options available:

Scissors – This is your first option because it’s very likely that you already have a pair lying around. But cutting neoprene is not like cutting paper or cloth, so you have to make sure your scissors are particularly sharp. If you have a sharpener, it will be worth it to sharpen up those blades before cutting rather than gnawing through the neoprene with a dull pair. You may also find that there’s a limit to the thickness of the neoprene that you can effectively cut with scissors.

Razor blade – If you only need to cut the neoprene in straight lines, this is a good way to do it. Lay the neoprene sheet flat on a cutting board, line up a metal edged ruler with the cut line, and slice slowly and steadily with the razor blade, bearing lightly against the ruler. This also works with very sharp knives, such as X-acto knives. It is possible, of course, to cut curves with a blade, but it may take some more practice to do it cleanly.

Rotary cutter and mat – A rotary cutter has a circular blade and a handle, and resembles a small pizza cutter. You can use one of these in conjunction with a cutting mat to cut more complex shapes out of neoprene. Lay the neoprene sheet flat on the cutting board. Trace the pattern first using chalk, then roll over it with the cutting wheel. Not that many people have one of these just lying around the house, but they are not too expensive if you think you will be cutting more in the future.

When cutting neoprene, be careful not to stretch it, or your final shape may be deformed. This is another reason why the cutting wheel often works better than scissors.

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