10 Things you can do with your wetsuit instead of trashing it

2.) RebornRubber – Wallets

3) Warm Current – Community Program Re-Use

4) Green Guru – BackPacks and other outdoor gear

Not only will Green Guru accept your used wetsuit, they also accept inner tubes and climbing ropes that they upcycle into various products such as backpacks, wallets and other gear. This company is based out of Colorado but has partnered with various bike shops around the country to place Upcycling bins where donations can be dropped. Visit their site to find locations and how donating can get you a discount on their upcycled products.

5.) Wetsuit Wearhouse – Discounts for wetsuit donation

The Wetsuit Wearhouse has implemented some green iniatives of their own however they are not in the business of Upcycling wetsuits into other products. They will however accept your donated wetsuit and forward it to SUGA (mentioned above) and give you a 15% discount on products sold in their shop.

- Repurposing your wetsuit personally -

You won’t need to insulate your laptop however because neoprene is a bendable foam rubber it will conform nicely to the shape of a laptop as well as provide a soft tactile feel and some cushion. Neoprene laptop cases can be relatively simple to make and can be made using a sewing machine with some denim needles or hand stitched.

The guide from from Saul on instructables below provides a detailed overview of the process.

Neoprene Laptop Bag - Instructables

Neoprene’s primary use is for insulation in the context of diving and surfing. This carry’s over well when you’d like your drink to stay cold on a hot day. Beer or soda can koozies are a popular way to re-use an old wetsuit

The tutorial below from CraftySurf makes repurposing your wetsuit into a beer koozie simple by incorporating the use of tape instead of stitch (although if you prefer to stitch go for it).

Fosters can koozie from an old wetsuit

8.) Oven Mitts – Heat Resistance Utilization

Neoprene is Flame and heat resistant. Choosing to upcycle your old wetsuit into a pair of oven mitts will work just as well as store bought mitts and leave you with enough spare neoprene to make something else. The oven mitt sewing tutorial linked below is not neoprene specific but you can easily use these instructions to make the mitts from neoprene.

Direction to sew an oven mitt - TheSpruceCrafts

9.) Dog Beds and Doormats – Tear and Abrasion Resistance

If you have cats, wrapping a square of your wetsuit neoprene around a cat tree can provide some additional grip and prolong the life of your cat tree. If you’ve got a couple wetsuits to recycle, cutting the largest square of the suit and layering it will make a nice bed with some cushion for a small dog.

10.) Mouse Pads

This is probably the easiest DIY way to upcycle your wetsuit as you won’t need to stitch or sew. Wetsuits will commonly have a single sided or double sided fabric cover. This makes an old wetsuit perfect for making a mouse cover. The fabric covered side of the neoprene allows your mouse to glide gently over the surface while the underside (exposed neoprene) will stick nicely to your desk’s surface.