Where to recycle old sails and end of life kit – drop off points across the UK and Europe

Laura Hodgetts

Got old sails and unwanted rope that you don't want to put into landfill? The ReSail platform, one of the not-for-profit Clean Sailors projects, allows sailors to search for and find free drop-off points to give new life to end-of-life sails and other marine kit

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Sadly 97% of old and end-of-life sails end up in landfill in the UK and in most other geographies it indexes much higher, touching almost 100%, with no formal facilities to recycle old sails anywhere in the world.

Find out how to make sails last longer

After the success of a pilot project by Clean Sailors in 2021, whereby SKB Sails in Falmouth, Cornwall, agreed to become the first drop-off point for old sails, now there are 38 more such drop-offs in 11 countries across the UK and Europe – including France, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.

“We joined ReSail by Clean Sailors as we had so many customers who don’t know what to do with old sails. To give them another use, a second lease of life – why not?” says Nick Head, sailmaker and director of SKB Sails.

“It has totally snowballed and it’s really good to see that there are other companies onboard who share the same view as us.”

Nick Head, sailmaker and director of SKB Sails, with Holly Manvell, founder of Clean Sailors

Nick Head, sailmaker and director of SKB Sails, with Holly Manvell, founder of Clean Sailors

Sailors can use the Resail global platform to locate their nearest participating business or organisation that can recycle old sails.

Sails can be dropped off, they will then be ‘upcycled’ and given a second life, made into a host of lifestyle products such as bags, washbags, deck chairs and doorstops and taken up by other individuals, including sailors, looking for second-hand kit.

Whilst most materials used for sailing are built to withstand some of the toughest conditions on our planet including UV light, saltwater and wind, they don’t last forever, and they all have a time limit on their initial use.

Where to recycle old sails?

The ReSail global sail recycling platform is giving old sails a new life.

Visit resailbycleansailors.com and search for your nearest sail recycling drop-off point.

Here you will see what type of kit is accepted, some locations only take sails, while others will also accept old rope, canvas and spinnakers.

Across the UK there are currently 11 companies taking part, primarily in the south west, amongst 27 participating drop-off points worldwide.

OneSails GBR (East) signed up for the global ReSail ‘drop off’ platform in March 2023 to collect old and end-of-life sail materials.

John Parker from OneSails GBR (East) said: “To be honest, we didn’t know whether it would strike a chord with people, but the response has been fantastic.

“Over 250 sails in less than a year shows sailors are conscious of their environmental impact and want to reduce their waste. We have now started collecting old rope as well as sails, and we’ve found interesting and creative ways to find new uses for both.”

Unwanted sails collected at SKB Sails in Falmouth, Cornwall. Credit: Clean Sailors

Unwanted sails were collected at SKB Sails in Falmouth, Cornwall. Credit: Clean Sailors

SOUTH & SOUTH WEST

Sailtech
Unit 16, Kernick Business Park, Annear Road, Penryn
Cornwall, TR10 9EW
Collects: Sails

Rocketcrunch
29 Creswicke Avenue,
Bristol, Bristol, BS15 3HE
Collects: Sails / Canvas / Lines / Sheets / Ropes

Sails and Canvas
Shed 9, Topsham Quay
Topsham, Devon, EX3 0JB
Collects: Sails / Canvas

OARSUM
The Olde Cottage, Bent Street
Nether Wallop, Stockbridge, SO208EJ
Collects: Dacron Sails / Canvas

Waterhaul
9a Seabase Units, Treloggan Industrial Estate
Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2SX
Collects: Sails / Spinnakers

SKB Sails
The Sail Loft, Commercial Road
Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 8AG
Collects: Sails / Canvas

Sailtech
Unit 16 Kernick Business Park, Annear Road
Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EW
Collects: Sails

WALES

Mouse Sails
Porthdafarch,
Holyhead, Wales, LL65 2LL
Collects: Sails / Line / Sheets / Ropes

NORTH

Retribe Clothing Ltd
109-111 Randall Street,
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S2 4SJ
Collects: Sails, Canvas

EAST & SOUTH EAST

OneSails GBR
Suffolk Yacht Harbour, Levington
Ipswich, East Suffolk, IP10 0LN
Collects: Sails

Ocean Republic
32 Downside,
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6HG
Collects: Sails /Heavy Duty Sails / Lines / Sheets / Ropes

FRANCE

La Virgule
Les ateliers du Détroit, Rue Gustave Courbet
Calais, 62100, France
Collects: Sails

La Virgule
Garage, 34 Boulevard Carnot
Lille, 59000, France
Collects: Sails

La Virgule
Presqu’île Guérandaise, 28 A Rue de Kerdandec
Mesquer, 44420, France
Collects: Sails

THE NETHERLANDS

Setting Sails
Westerstraat 5-9,
Rotterdam, 3016 DG, Netherlands
Collects: Sails

GERMANY

Sailmate
An der Alster 58,
Hamburg, 20099, Germany
Collects: Sails / Lines / Sheets / Ropes

Sailmate
Oststrasse 7,
Sangerhausen, 6526, Germany
Collects: Sails / Lines / Sheets / Ropes

POLAND

CODE ZERO
Boh. Monte Cassino 10,
Sopot, 81-805, Poland
Collects: Sails

CODE ZERO
Lanowa 70,
Gdansk, 80-777, Poland
Collects: Sails

ITALY

Bolina Sail
Viale Italia 48, Lignano Sabbiadoro,
33054, Italy
Collects: Sails

Purye Clothing
Viale Italia 48,
Lignano Sabbiadoro, 20810, Italy
Collects: Sails

JUNKLE
Piazza Aragona 13,
Palermo, 90133, Italy
Collects: Sails

SPAIN

Resail BCN
Port Esportiu del Masnou, S/N
Barcelona, 8328, Spain
Collects: Sails / Line / Sheets / Rope

PORTUGAL

La Virgule
Casa do Impacto, Tv. de São Pedro 8,
Lisbon 1200-432, Portugal
Collects: Sails

La Virgule
Mercedes Sailing Academy, Doca de Santo Amaro
armazém 17, Lisbon 1350-353, Portugal
Collects: Sails

La Virgule
Sail Fix, Avenida Brasilia Doca de Belém
núcleo de apoio à náutica 12, Lisbon 1300-598, Portugal
Collects: Sails

GREECE

Salty Bag
Erotokritou Moraiti 14,
Corfu, Corfu 49100, Greece
Collects: Sails

Visit resailbycleansailors.com for the latest list of participating organisations and businesses.

 

What is Clean Sailors?

Clean Sailors is a not-for-profit founded in 2020 by sailor, environmentalist and ocean appreciator, Holly Manvell. Through its projects, Clean Sailors raises awareness of ocean conservation issues and opportunities within the global sailing and marine communities.

In 2022, Clean Sailors partnered with Italian boatbuilder, nl comp and OneSails to launch the world’s first fully recyclable Optimist, and the project has a podcast featuring conversations with industry innovators and figureheads engaged in building a more sustainable marine industry.

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