Rip Curl

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Rip Curl Sustainability Actions

B Corp certification and factory

Rip Curl says it became a Certified B Corporation in 2023, and that its wetsuit factory in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is also B Corp certified. B Corp is a certification for companies that meet set standards on social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The company says the factory is owned and operated by Rip Curl, which gives it more direct control over wages, working conditions, and environmental impact. It also says workers there are paid a living wage and that the site has solar panels and waste management systems.

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Repairs and wetsuit takeback

Rip Curl runs repair and takeback services for wetsuits. It says it repaired more than 10,000 wetsuits in one year and has recycled over 25,000 wetsuits through its Recycle Your Wetsuit program. The brand also says the program accepts wetsuits from any brand in Australia, Europe, and North America. This kind of takeback scheme helps keep products in use longer and can reduce waste by giving old neoprene a second life instead of sending it to landfill.

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Reusing production waste

Rip Curl says it has recycled and upcycled wetsuit offcuts and old wetsuits into items such as carpet underlay, footwear, coolers, and backpack padding. It also works with Airstep, a flooring company, to turn neoprene waste into underlay. The company says this has diverted large amounts of pre-consumer waste, meaning material left over before a product reaches customers. Rip Curl also says it wants to keep improving how much of its wetsuit assembly waste is recycled.

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Lower-impact materials

Rip Curl says it has been changing the materials used in wetsuits and apparel. It introduced BIO SS rubber in 2021, adopted Eucaprene rubber in 2022, and uses Yulex natural rubber, which is a plant-based alternative to some fossil-fuel-based foams. The company also says it is increasing the share of preferred fibres in apparel and accessories. In FY24, it said 66% of apparel and accessories used preferred fibres, and 72% of cotton was sourced responsibly.

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Cleaner manufacturing steps

Rip Curl says it uses water-based laminations to cut volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are gases that can be harmful to workers and the air. It also says some suppliers use water-saving dye machines and wastewater treatment so more water can be reused. The brand says it uses digital printing to reduce waste and energy use, and solution dyeing to save water and improve colour fastness, which means colours last longer without fading as quickly.

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Packaging changes

Rip Curl says it has reduced plastic in shipping and packaging. It removed polybags from some large-volume colourways sent to Australia, and it says new smart film with a BDP additive has cut plastic volume across wetsuit production. The brand also says its swing tags use FSC-certified paper and card, meaning the paper comes from forests managed to certain environmental and social standards. It says wetsuit hangers are made from recycled ocean-bound plastic and that it wants to move them to higher recycled content.

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Community and worker programs

Rip Curl says it has expanded fair compensation work with the Fair Labor Association, a group that checks labour standards in supply chains. It also says it has increased worker voice work, consulted thousands of factory workers about conditions, and supported women’s empowerment programs in Bangladesh. The brand also points to community projects such as Planet Day, beach clean-ups, and surf community support. These actions sit in both social and environmental parts of its ESG work.

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