NORTH SAILS & SEA BAGS LAUNCH SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERSHIP

The two brands have teamed up on a sustainability initiative to divert retired sails from the landfill and pave the way for the sailing community to collectively reduce waste.

Sea Bags, the Maine-based designer and manufacturer of bags, totes and accessories made from repurposed sails, is pleased to announce a partnership with North Sails, the sailmaking industry leader. The two brands have teamed up on a sustainability initiative to divert retired sails from the landfill and pave the way for the sailing community to collectively reduce waste.

Since 1999, Sea Bags has collected over 700 tons of retired sails away from landfills and has repurposed nearly 16,000 sails in the last two years alone. North Sails, the world’s largest sailmaker with operations in 29 countries, produces sails for racing and cruising. The partnership kicked off internally with a sweep of sail lofts in North America in late 2021 which resulted in 166 sails being collected.

Launching Summer 2022, the North Sails and Sea Bags initiative encourages sailors to donate their old sails at any North Sails loft in North America. With 11 loft locations across the United States and Canada, North Sails provides easy access to participate in this meaningful program. Sails accepted in the North Sails x Sea Bags repurposing program include 3Di^TM composite, Dacron, nylon spinnakers, and intact laminates.

Beth Greenlaw, Sea Bags President and Chief Sustainability Officer remarked “We are thrilled to formalize our long-time working agreement with North Sails. As a beginning and end to the supply chain, we together can work to improve sustainability in sailing and support a better future for our oceans and environment. With both companies leading a variety of sustainability initiatives, our goals will be measurable, with plans for continuous improvement.”

Jono Macbeth, North Sails Sustainability Manager offered “What makes this partnership exciting and different, is the commitment between our two companies to look into all the different parts of a sail and find sustainable end of life solutions for the various components.” MacBeth added “One of the consequences of producing sails with exceptional performance and longevity, is that the sail material becomes difficult to deconstruct in a truly sustainable way. Rather than shying away from this, North Sails and Sea Bags are working together to find solutions. We are all well served when the marine industry collaborates to maximize product usage and lifespan, producing a positive environmental impact.”

The North Sails lofts in North America are now accepting old sails for drop off. Find your nearest loft here.