Chronicle 20: Sowing Seeds of Change - Inside Jeff Martin’s Natural Rubber Renaissance

February 13, 2024

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Rubber Chronicles

A look at the history of the Natural Rubber industry through the eyes of YULEX founder, Jeff Martin.
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YULEX Wins 2023 FSC Leadership Award

Nov 3, 2023

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News

We are the proud recipients of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) 2023 Leadership Award.

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Yulex, LLC Announces the Appointment of Former Biotech Executive as its New Chief Executive Officer

Oct 31, 2023

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News

Yulex today announces the promotion of Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Bui to Chief Executive Officer.

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What do YULEX products have to do with the EU Deforestation Regulation ("EUDR")?

Oct 19, 2023

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Insights

The regulation is aimed at minimizing the EU’s contribution to deforestation and forest degradation worldwide. We break down what it means for your rubber supply chain.

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Yulex Announces Equitable Agriculture, a Smallholder Profit-Sharing Program for Natural Rubber

Oct 17, 2023

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News

Yulex has partnered with PEFC by investing in smallholders which is critical in reducing systemic inequalities in the natural rubber supply chain.

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Rubber Chronicle 19: CO2e Emissions of Natural Rubber, Neoprene, Geoprene and SBR

Jul 19, 2023

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Rubber Chronicles

CO2e emissions of natural rubber, polychloroprene (or neoprene), styrene butadiene, and limestone-based polychloroprene (or geoprene) based on independent scientific, peer-reviewed, journals and/or self-reported data to U.S. regulatory agencies.

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Natural vs. Synthetic Rubber: Top Differences and Why You Should Go Natural

May 26, 2023

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Insights

Whether you’re a company leader who’s choosing materials for your products or a consumer who’s making buying choices for your household, learning about your options is the first step.

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Chronicle 18: Tetsuya Ohara

Apr 21, 2023

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Rubber Chronicles

Tetsuya Ohara, then Patagonia's Director of Advanced R&D, can tell you what a long, strange trip it’s been.

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Chronicle 17: Alison Adventures Teal

Feb 21, 2023

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Rubber Chronicles

Before Alison could walk, the family traveled to India, lived with the Tibetan Ladakhi people, and traveled to remote regions of the Himalayas and Nepal, climbed high peaks and explored the Rajasthan desert.

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Chronicle 16: Tom Kay, Fearless Seaman

Jan 25, 2023

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Rubber Chronicles

Finisterre is a surfing apparel company and does not manufacture or invent per se. However, what it does very well is it curates, investigates and delivers durable products that are environmentally conscious.

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Chronicle 15: Wow What a Tradeshow - Yulex ISPO2022 Munich

Dec 28, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

What is ISPO? It's the largest trade show for the sporting industry. It takes place every year in Munich. This year was the first F2F (face to face) show in 2 1/2 years. There were over 1,700 exhibitors with their latest sports products to over 40,000 attendees from over 110 countries.

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Introducing: SRFACE'S New Plant-Based Wetsuit

Dec 22, 2022

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News

When thinking about buying a new wetsuit, what do you think of these days? Do you just stick with what you know, or do you take a long look at the ethos and values of a company before parting ways with your cash? Mix of both? Neither?

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Why the Buzz About Neoprene Free Wetsuits?

Nov 24, 2022

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Insights

You may have seen some wetsuits marketed as neoprene free, but why? Do non neoprene wetsuits matter? Learn all about the switch to neoprene free wetsuits here.

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Natural vs. Synthetic Rubber: Top Differences to Consider

Nov 24, 2022

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Which is the better choice: natural or synthetic rubber? Or a unique third option? Read about the differences between natural vs. synthetic rubber.

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Chloroprene 101: What It Is and Why It Is a Concern

Nov 24, 2022

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Insights

Products you use every day could be posing health risks and risks to the environment. Find out how and what you can do when you learn about chloroprene.

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Is Neoprene Bad for the Environment? Sustainability Problems Revealed

Oct 12, 2022

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Insights

If you’re on a journey of living a more sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle, you’re probably discovering that many of the products you used were impacting the ecosystem in ways you had never realized.

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Chronicle 13: The Yulex History with Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

Sep 26, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Yulex’ mission is to develop and innovate to create solutions, specifically, replacements for certain petroleum-based textiles e.g. neoprene, geoprene and soon spandex.

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Chronicle 12: Man Thai Traditional Fishing in Da Nang

Sep 5, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Vietnam's 3,000-kilometre coastline contributes to over 5 million jobs in the fishing and seafood sector and is one of the top seafood exporters globally.

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Chronicle 11: What is YULEX PURE?

Aug 18, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

YULEX PURE natural rubber latex and solid are special Yulex grades of natural rubber. Recall prior chronicles talked about different grades of natural rubber including cup lump, concentrated latex and 3L.

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Chronicle 10: Are You or Do You Think You're Allergic to Natural Rubber Latex?

Aug 12, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Yulex is a material science and product company developing materials such as high performance foams, films and fibers from certified natural rubber - both solid rubber and liquid rubber (a.k.a. latex).

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Chronicle 9: Traditional Hmong Hemp Spinning and Weaving

Aug 3, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

We're taking a little break from talking about rubber, but still in keeping with how things are made and stories while we're on the road - Sa Pa, Viet Nam.

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Chronicle 8: Shouldn’t We Start With a Raw Material That Is Carbon Neutral?

Jul 26, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

30 million metric tons of natural and synthetic rubber are produced annually. 60% of this total is synthetic rubber – about 18 million metric tons! The majority of synthetic rubber is butadiene used to make tires and yes, neoprene.

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Chronicle 7: What’s the Difference Between Latex and Rubber?

Jul 13, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Like rubber, latex can be natural or synthetic. Natural latex is the substance harvested from the rubber tree- also called tree latex.

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Chronicle 6: Is Chloroprene Really That Bad?

Jul 5, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Answer: Yes. Chloroprene is a chemical used to make a synthetic rubber or neoprene.

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Chronicle 5: Did You Know That Carbon Is the Backbone of Your Wetsuit?

Jun 29, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

It all starts with an element we learned about in school - carbon. Life on Earth would not even be possible without carbon. For real! Carbon is Queen.

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Chronicle 4: You Wanted More Rubber Grades Right?

Jun 22, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

The last Yulex Rubber Chronicle spoke to cup lump rubber made from tee latex that had been coagulated or pre-coagulated at the plantation. It is hard to remove dirt from pre-coagulated rubber.

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Chronicle 3: Do You Know The Origin of The Word "Rubber" or That it Has Grades?

Jun 15, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Natural rubber was first identified and collected in Central and South American in about 1600 B.C.E. But the origin of the word we use now goes back to 1770, when chemist Joseph Priestley noticed that lines drawn with a pencil can be removed using rubber.

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Chronicle 2: Who are Smallholders?

Jun 11, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

There are over 264,000 Vietnamese smallholders that together produce over 50% of the total Vietnamese rubber supply.

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Chronicle 1: Why Vietnam Natural Rubber?

Jun 4, 2022

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Rubber Chronicles

Thank you for signing up for our newsletters, which admittedly has been a long time coming. But we have a journey to share that is the core of our ethos - planet and people first.

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What You Didn’t Know About Limestone Mining and the Environment

Nov 24, 2021

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Insights

Did you know limestone mining is a serious environmental hazard and health hazard? Find out how it affects the planet and how you can reduce the impact.

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Ansea - Yulex Wetsuit and Bags

Sep 29, 2021

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News

Yulex is an FSC certified natural rubber which produces 80% less CO2 emissions than Neoprene in its manufacturing process. Unlike neoprene, Yulex is 100% plant based, requiring no mining, drilling or non-renewable resources like petroleum or limestone.

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Aqualung Launches All New XSCAPE Collection Featuring Eco-Responsible Wetsuit

Apr 28, 2021

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News

The XSCAPE collection continues Aqualung’s legacy in innovation, and their tireless work to create the most forward thinking and eco-conscious dive company in the world.

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Introducing: Billabong's New Range of Eco-Conscious Wetsuits

Dec 9, 2020

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News

There’s more to think about now than just, ‘is the wetsuit durable or flexible?’ It’s our duty to look at the materials used in the construction of our prized rubber and make choices that are conducive to an eco-friendly future.

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Women + Waves X H&M Goes Global

Nov 30, 2020

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News

Sustainability for this collection was really important to us, as it has been to H&M. It has been at the very core of the collection from materials to processes.

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"People Don’t Know How Bad Neoprene Is”: Meet the Designer Bringing a Sustainable Vision to Surfing

Jan 14, 2020

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News

As everyone becomes more conscious of what they buy, the action sports industry will have to make that shift.

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More Competition For Plant-Based Shoes As Sanuk Debuts A New Design

Dec 19, 2019

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News

Decker’s owned Sanuk, the California shoe brand most known for its easy going slide ons, has launched a shoe made with Yulex a natural rubber coming from FSC-certified forests in Guatemala.

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Patagonia’s New Natural-rubber Wetsuit Is The Warmest I’ve Ever Worn, And Softer And More Flexible Than Ever

Jul 12, 2019

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News

Looking into both environmental and social responsibility, Patagonia, as it stands now, is the only wetsuit manufacturer that is Fair Trade Certified and neoprene-free.

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Kiwi Woman Is Making The World’s First Luxury Plant-based Swimsuits

Jul 3, 2019

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News

Combining oceanwear and activism, Kiwi entrepreneur Janaya Wilkins is well on her way to producing the world’s first range of luxury, plant-based swimsuits.

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Bogs Rainboot Brands Are Becoming More Sustainable

May 28, 2019

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News

When we first learned that the tinkerers at Yulex were making wetsuits out of natural rubber, we got excited.

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The Seea: Why We’re Leaving Neoprene Behind

Jul 23, 2018

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News

As of 2018, all of Seea’s wetsuit range is neoprene free. We’re replacing neoprene with plant-based Yulex technology because we believe in choosing sustainable and ethically sound materials whenever possible.

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The Nieuwland 3e Wetsuit Built With Yulex Pure

Jun 1, 2018

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News

It’s been three years in the making, but we’re really excited to be launching our first natural rubber wetsuit made from Yulex Pure

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What Exactly Is This Yulex Stuff Patagonia Is Using to Make Neoprene Free Wetsuits?

Sep 21, 2016

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News

With the surf world trending green, Hub predicts that other companies will jump on board the natural rubber train boasting a more sustainable option. But the FSC certification is important, and not all will have that.

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