O’NEILL BLUE MATERIALS
Our materials are carefully selected to improve the overall environmental impact of our products. We are committed to ensuring that all raw materials are grown and manufactured responsibly in a way that preserves resources and respects human and animal rights.
POLYGIENE - FOR MINDFUL LIVING ™
We launched our partnership with ingredient-brand Polygiene® in 2021. Polygiene’s odor-control technologies keep your products fresher for longer. Hence, you don’t need to wash the product that often – saving water and energy as well as enhancing the lifespan of a garment.
How it works
Polygiene StayFresh ™ technology, based on silver salt / silver chloride, inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria in textiles, thus eliminating unpleasant odors at the source. Polygiene OdorCrunch™, based on sand (silica) and Swedish water, absorbs any kind of environmental odors that may be trapped in your garment.
Both technologies are bluesign® and Oeko-tex® Eco Passports approved and treated products can be recycled.
Wear more, wash less and make a difference.
OCEANTECH
Oceantech yarn contains abandoned oystershells. The oystershells are upcycled from oyster farms in Taiwan. They are ground into powder and mixed with recycle PET bottles to create the yarns for our products.
CELLULOSE FIBRES
Cellulose, wood pulp, is a preferred renewable resource material for O’Neill. To ensure the environmental benefits of cellulose used in our products, we work with branded regenerated cellulose fibers, for example:
Viscose (LivaEco by Birla Cellulose™) is ethically derived from natural, renewable resources and manufactured through stringent eco-friendly EU Best Available Technique (EUBAT) compliant closed loop process. They can be traced to its origin, contributing towards a greener environment. Fabrics and garments made with Livaeco™ are soft comfortable and drape beautifully.
Lyocell Seacell™ cellulose fibre has seaweed additives, active ingredients from the sea. During the spinning process of the Lyocell/viscose fibre, the seaweed is permanently embedded into the fibre. The solution is spun into fibres, cured in water and processed into staple fibres. All process liquids and water are recycled and re-used. And all fibres and leftover waste is fully biodegradable.
BLOOM™️
BLOOM™ algae biomass is a natural component added to the existing EVA of our sandals footbeds as an alternative material resource.
BLOOM™ reclaims harmful algae blooms and turns them into something useful. This process cleans water, lessens CO2 pollution and restores aquatic habitats.
Algae is naturally found in almost every ecosystem in the world and does not compete for freshwater resources or land that is required to grow food. It also produces more oxygen and captures more carbon than forests. BLOOM™ Algae is harvested from environmental restoration and protection projects in North America and Asia.
ECONYL®
We use ECONYL® from regenerated nylon to help close the loop. Made from waste, it's infinitely recyclable and can offer many possibilities for reuse. It's all part of the ECONYL® brand vision to make the world a better place by pioneering closed loop regeneration processes and delivering more sustainable products.
REPREVE®
We use REPREVE® made from recycled PET bottles cleaned and woven into our yarns. The yarn is then spun using the highest quality recycled fibre chips and flakes certified by U TRUST® to verify claims. This form of synthetic fibres relies on fewer greenhouse gases and conserves water and energy in the process.
BETTER COTTON INITIATIVE
O’Neill Europe partner’s with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) to improve cotton farming globally.
Better Cotton trains farmers to use water efficiently, care for soil health and natural habitats, reduce use of the most harmful chemicals and respect workers’ rights and wellbeing.
Better Cotton is sourced via a chain of custody model called mass balance. This means that Better Cotton is not physically traceable to end products, however, Better Cotton Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those we ‘source’.
We are committed to sourcing 100% of our cotton as ‘more sustainable cotton’ by 2022. ‘More sustainable cotton’ includes e.g. Better Cotton, recycled cotton, and organic cotton. Better Cotton’s mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.
By choosing cotton products from O’Neill, you’re supporting responsible cotton production through Better Cotton. Seebettercotton.org/learnmore for details.
ORGANIC COTTON
We use organic cotton to ensure our oceans, rivers and lakes remain free from harmful toxins. Organic cotton is able to promote healthier soils while caring for farmer health by using natural processes over artificial ones.
RECYCLED POLYESTER
We use recycled polyester to give a second life to materials that are not biodegradable and would otherwise end up in landfills or the ocean. When compared to virgin polyester, recycled polyester can achieve the same finished quality using less energy and reduced CO2 emissions.
RECYCLED POLYAMIDE
We use recycled polyamide to divert materials away from our oceans and towards long-lasting garments. Since virgin polyamide is known for its difficulties breaking down, we see its reuse as a solution towards less waste and ocean pollution. Additionally, by using recycled fibers, fewer greenhouse gasses are emitted and water and energy are conserved in the process.
ANIMAL WELFARE
Even though O’Neill Europe only has few styles containing wool materials, we have set a strict animal welfare policy in our purchasing requirements, in which we have stated that all animals must be cared for in accordance with the EU principles’ "Five Freedoms" for animal care.
To guarantee this, all virgin wool we use should be either organic or certified on yarn level according to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or an equivalent standard.
Please see our sustainability report for more details on our policy and its principles.