KONFIDENCE UPCYCLES SWIMWEAR WITH ECO-DESIGNER’ LORNA DOYLE

Konfidence has teamed up with Lorna Doyle Design, an eco-textile designer who rescues wetsuits and transforms the waste neoprene material into stunning bags and pieces of art.

This latest upcycling programme forms part of Konfidence’s ongoing commitment to reducing its environmental impact, by saving its waste neoprene swimwear products from going to landfill.

Laura Higgins, Konfidence’s Sales & Dispatch Coordinator who has been leading the eco-project, said: “Being based in Cornwall, we are so closely connected to the sea and see first-hand the scale of devastation caused from products that are thrown into landfill. As a business, we therefore make a conscious effort to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, and this latest re-purposing programme with Lorna takes our recycling and upcycling efforts one stage further.”

“We initially approached Lorna to see if she would be able to use our ex-display / waste neoprene-based products, for example our Babywarma, Original Konfidence Swim Jacket and wetsuits, to save them from going to landfill. The result has been amazing; Lorna has created a fabulous range of bags using our neoprene fabric designs, which she can now sell at eco-markets and on her website to help further her ocean awareness campaigns.”

Lorna Doyle, who is passionate about rescuing wetsuits, said:

“Wetsuits create 380 tonnes of non-Biodegradable Waste every year, and by working in my local community and with companies like Konfidence I can use my skills as a textile designer to transform their waste neoprene material into reusable products. Konfidence’s colourful children’s swimwear products really compliment my textile designs, and I’ve been able to cut the neoprene panels and apply my prints over the top to create unique zipped bags – each one is different. I also use the Lycra from inside the swim suits to line the inside of the bags and laser cut the remaining neoprene scraps to create pretty labels for each of the bags.”

“For companies that would also like to donate wetsuits please go to my website www.lorna-doyle.com for more information or follow me on Instagram @lornadoyledesign.”

ABOUT US:

Based in Cornwall, we are Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of dedicated safety swimwear for babies and children - and the market leader across 25 countries worldwide. Our multi-award winning Original Konfidence Swim Jacket is our flagship product and every year helps tens of thousands of children learn to swim. In fact, we are proud to say that it's the number one best-selling neoprene swimming buoyancy aid for children aged 1 to 7 years across the UK and Europe and is a firm favourite with parents and swimming teachers all over the world.