THE CIRCULAR SYSTEM AT NABAIJI
What is a circular system?
In the past, the production of new products was based on a linear system. Resources were transformed into products that were used and then disposed of.
The circular system aims to change all this by limiting the waste of resources and environmental impacts. This can be achieved by transforming the product's life cycle from a straight line into a loop. The aim? At the end of its life cycle, the product becomes a resource for the production of other products, instead of going to waste.
How does this circular system work at NABAIJI ?
It's very simple and consists of three actions: reuse, repair and recycle.
If we continue to use the product, then we retain its value in full.
If we repair the product, then we add value to it.
If we recycle the product, then we recover the value of the materials.
Which products are concerned?
It makes no difference. This process applies to all types of products.
We design all our products so that they can be processed in our circular system. Our preferred order of priority is reuse, then repair and, finally, recycling.
The products enter one of these three processes, depending on their eligibility and their condition. For example, swimwear is mainly recycled. Swimwear is rarely reused by another customer for reasons of hygiene, and it is difficult to repair. We have to decide which process is best suited to the type of product, its material and its condition.
What measures has NABAIJI already taken?
In 2019, SUBEA and other teams at the DECATHLON Water Sports Development Centre in Hendaye started working together on projects facing the same challenges. This collaborative project aimed to build a circular economy.
At NABAIJI, we have chosen to look to the future. Our priority consists of designing new products that are part of a circular system, rather than using new resources.
In concrete terms, this entails taking the second life, or the end of life, of new products into consideration, right from the design phase. By way of example, we are conducting research into the recycling of swimsuits, neoprene wetsuits and towels. We are also working on the repair and recycling of goggles.
Making fins from fins
Our first steps towards product circularity / Episode 1 Fins with fins
Our first steps towards product circularity / Episode 2 Fins with fins recycling
Our first steps towards product circularity / Episode 3 Testing in use
In 2021, we launched a major operation to collect used fins. You can find our collection bins in several Decathlon stores, diving clubs and other swimming venues.
What happens to the old or broken fins that we collect? They are sent to a recycling centre near Lyon, France. They are shredded, washed, melted and transformed into pellets. We can then use this new component as a recycled raw material!
And what comes next? We are working on it. The plastic pellets that form the recycled raw material are shipped directly to our fins supplier in Milan, Italy. Our supplier can then use the recycled material and virgin material to design new fins. The fins are certified in numerous tests, in laboratories and under real-life conditions, to guarantee that they meet our requirements in terms of quality and performance. And they can then live a new life!
Our goal is to repeat this cycle several times, so that you can buy fins in our stores that are made from your old recycled fins. That is what we call circularity.
