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A decommissioned life jacket does not necessarily lack materials that can still be used. Based on this principle, Écho-Mer has developed a line of accessories in La Rochelle designed to use materials sourced from the boating industry rather than new materials.
In particular, the organization collects synthetic foam from life jackets to make rectangular or cylindrical fenders . The principle is based on reuse: the material is diverted from its original purpose to be incorporated into a new product, without being reduced to raw material.
Two metric tons of materials collected over two years
Life jackets are only part of the collection. Écho-Mer also collects sails, ropes, neoprene, PVC tarps, shellfish-farming bags, and remnants of technical fabric rolls, primarily from the boating industry. And don?t forget the carpets from the booths at the Grand Pavois boat show!
The association announced that it has thus collected and processed two metric tons of end-of-life marine materials over the past two years . After collection, the materials are inspected, sorted, and stored before being processed at partner facilities.
Sails and lines are also back in action
The applications aren't limited to fenders. Recycled sails are used, for example, to make covers for winches and steering wheels. The product line also includes storage bins, sorting bags, cockpit cushions, and various other bags made from available textiles.
For Écho-Mer, this activity is part of an effort that has been underway since the association was founded in 2001 in La Rochelle , focusing on the collection of marine debris and raising awareness about marine conservation. Above all, the new line provides a concrete example of an issue that the boating community is increasingly facing: What should be done with equipment when it can no longer fulfill its original purpose, but its materials are still usable?
