News
Weezle Diving goes green
When Weezle Diving (www.weezle.co.uk) launched their first product in 1998 it was green. Literally. A bright emerald one-piece ‘Extreme’ undersuit. What was equally innovative was the packaging the Weezle Extreme came in. It was green too. This time, environmentally green. The Extreme undersuit was packed in a lightweight durable material sack, that could be compressed to save on space.
The fact that Weezle set out to be as environmentally friendly as possible from day one was no happy accident. In LBW (life before Weezle), Paul Child – Weezle’s co-founder – worked in the packaging industry, and as such was exposed to some interesting ideas that influenced his ecological thinking.
The compression sack set a trend and Weezle introduced draw-string fabric bags for their long boots and unbleached cotton duffle bags for bigger products. They switched out plastic barbs and replaced them with small metal safety pins to secure cardboard product tags to their Russian Hats and base layers. “Although this solution is more labour intensive, we knew it was the right thing to do”, stated Paul Child.
Weezle also “did the right thing” when it came to sourcing the insulating material for their undersuits. “Thanks to the likes of the Women’s Institute and their plastic soup campaign the public are now learning about the environmental impact of microplastic fibres” stated Paul Child. “Our man-made filling has longevity and unlike Fleece this hydrophobic material does not break down into microfibres. It can also be successfully washed in cold water.”
All these small steps have helped Weezle Diving adopt the ‘Green Achiever’ scheme and achieve their aim of being 100% single-use-plastic free. This system works to improve day-to-day company operations. All aspects of the company are holistically evaluated. Typical audit questions include “do you have an environmental policy? Do you know your carbon footprint? Where do your drains go? How do you dispose of plastic, wooden pallets, oil rags and fluorescent light bulbs? Do you take back old and redundant products from your customers? What forms of energy to you use (electricity, gas oil, renewable?) Does your company car fleet use biofuels? Do you source supplies locally?
“We reviewed our ancillary despatch materials because this is one area that everyone routinely overlooks”, stated Paul Child. “This year we have been sourcing packaging that can be composted. Bubble wrap is not an option, the obvious solution is corrugated cardboard. But what about the ‘documents enclosed pouch’? Traditional pouches used by the likes of UPS, Fedex etc are made from plastic and the backing paper that is removed to stick the pouch to the package can’t be always recycled either. After much searching we have sourced a pouch manufactured from oxo-biodegradable polythene. We have also switched out our packing tape for a compostable one that uses a water-based glue and all our cardboard boxes have already been previously used. In addition we have reached and agreement with our suppliers that if they dispatch us something that we cannot reuse or recycle, they have agreed we can return it to them for disposal.
Being awarded this Green Achiever certificate has been a real pat on the back! We have now joined Mission 2020 and will continue to use biodegradable, compostable packing materials, and recycle and reduce our ecological footprint where possible.”
For more information please visit the Weezle Diving website by clicking here.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Cozy and warm in cold water.
It’s drysuit season all year round. With the new RS series premium drysuits from DYNAMICNORD, divers are perfectly equipped for all cold waters.
The sophisticated cut of the RS drysuits allows complete freedom of movement, providing maximum comfort. The high-quality 350 g/m² ripstop material with double ripstop zones on the elbows, knees, and crotch protect ensures extreme robustness as well as long life.
The suit’s features leave nothing to be desired: A high-quality TiZip zipper, easily adjustable inlet and outlet valves, upgradeable with electrically heated underwear, HP bottleneck cuffs made of high-strength latex on the wrists, a 3mm neoprene neck cuff for maximum comfort, a 7mm hood with air outlet and 3mm boots made of double-sided, cross-layered neoprene with ankle straps and fin strap stoppers and a protective but very flexible sole.
Noteworthy is the Molle fastening system, which can be used in a variable and compatible manner. This way, the two detachable leg pockets can be attached easily, safely and comfortably.
Alterations of boots to a different shoe size or adjustments to neck or wrist cuffs are done free of charge at the own DYNAMICNORD service centre in Germany in only a couple of days.
The matching Dynaskins made with high-quality Polartec® technology are available in various designs. As an undersuit under the drysuit, as a single suit in warm waters or as a two-piece suit. Polartec® technology’s main features are neutral buoyancy, breathablilty and quick-drying.
Dynaskins are made largely from recycled plastic bottles.
The drysuit RS-351 for men and RS-352 for women are now available at your DYNAMICNORD dealer and in the online store.
Colors men and women: Black-Blue and Black-Burgundy
Sizes men: XS-4XL incl. intermediate sizes MS, MT, MLS, MLT, LS, LT, XLS, XLT, 2XLS, 3XLS, 4XLS
Sizes Women: XS-XL incl. intermediate sizes MS, MT, LS, XLS
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
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