Synergy Sport - Environment
At Synergy Sport we care about the environment. We have installed over 6000 watt of solar cells and are working on limiting our carbon footprint in all areas of business. We will be adding more solar cells to the point where we will be contributing more energy than we use. Until this happens, we are committed to paying for offsets through TerraPass.com.Our products are for the most part either made in the US by respectably factories, who are compliant with the most stringent labor laws and environmental standards. In the back of our clothing you will see our label summarizing this as “Made in California – No Sweat!”
Our wetsuits are made from a limestone-based neoprene, which is 99.7% calcium carbonate. It took over 80,000,000 years to make, as shell secretions of marine organisms were deposited on the ocean floor. This rubber has a 23% higher close cell structure than do the oil derived neoprene that is used by most of our competitors. Having this higher close cell structure makes it more buoyant, while also having a maximum elongation of over 600%, where as human skin stretches only 60%. The many extra cells are filled with nitrogen gas, which makes the wetsuits warmer. What may be most important about the limestone based neoprene is that it is 95+% water impermeable as opposed to 70% for the petroleum-based the neoprene. This is important for the buoyancy, insulation, longevity and not least the odor of the suit.Another interesting fact is that the rubber has a much lower friction coefficient of only 0.032, whereas some of our competitors drag as much as 4.0. This translates into a real difference of speed through the water!
We plan to create a product recycle program in the near future, where you can return your old wetsuit or carbon wheel-set to us for a credit towards a new Synergy or Gray product. You old products will either be used by athletes in the third world, who otherwise have no access to equipment, or will be recycled by waste management. We hope to get this program underway soon.
We are major sponsors of the most Environmentally Conscious Triathlon on Earth: Marin County Triathlon. Please get involved. www.MarinTriathlon.com.
