Week 6 Formal Pitch

Week 6 Formal Pitch

The average weekend surfer, or weekend ‘warrior’ will purchase a new wetsuit every 2-3 years. Over a span of around 20 years, this would mean the surfer had acquired between 7-10 wetsuits throughout their time surfing. Each of these wetsuits will take a minimum of approx 50-100 years to biodegrade.

We are tackling the issue of the disposal of neoprene, the material most commonly used to make wetsuits. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber material that is made from petroleum. It is a highly unsustainable material in both its production and disposal. Typically when a wetsuit comes to the end of its useable life it is either disposed of in a landfill or incinerated. This results in dangerous toxins being released into the environment. Unlike some other countries such as the USA, New Zealand currently has no programs targeted at diverting wetsuits from this fate.

We are proposing to develop a line of bags using reconfigured donated wetsuits that are no longer fit for purpose. These one-of-a-kind products will be marketed to surf/skate communities as one that is authentic, original and functional. By doing this we will be prolonging the usable life of the neoprene, combating the negative environmental impact of its disposal. We will also be offering back a product of value to the communities from which the neoprene is collected.

After speaking with a number of relevant businesses and members of the surf community we have established that this community holds particular interest in environmental issues. Many already appreciate and are troubled by the issues around neoprene. They share green mindsets that would motivate them to actively support us in this initiative. This includes support in areas such as: acting as a collection point for donated wetsuits, donating wetsuits, and buying our products.

We have received some great insight and support from Real Surf in Lyall Bay and are currently in the process of setting up a partnership with them for a trial collection point for wetsuits. If this is successful this may be a channel to sell our product. Second Treasures shop run by The Wellington City Council have also shown support by offering considerable discount in providing wetsuits for our trials - we are also working with them to have this as an ongoing partnership.

This specific bag or prototype has a cost of under $3 for all materials including transportation for the collection of materials. After further prototyping we will form a set foundation or pattern for the bags which we expect to bring the production time down to around 30-40 minutes per bag. Based on this prototype that would put the full cost of each bag at an estimate of $10-$15 for a basic design with minimal features. This gives space for mark up from a retailer but still remains affordable within the market.

In order to add more value to our products, we are looking for collaborations with creatives with a passion or interest in surf and watersports or are currently known by others in the community that could perhaps be involved in the design process or create artwork that is printed or embossed onto the bag. This would help bring exposure to the initiative and strengthen our alignment within the surf community.

As our business ultimately relies on the donation of materials from others, we also need seed money of $1000 in order to purchase any additional materials needed and to launch the initiative through the appropriate channels.