What Happens to Neoprene in Landfills?
By Repurposed Waders
Neoprene has been a friend to anglers for decades — keeping us warm on frosty mornings, dry through spring runoff, and out on the water longer than we probably should be. It’s tough, flexible, and built to last. But there’s a catch: when neoprene finally gives out, it really lasts — for hundreds of years.
When neoprene waders end up in a landfill, they don’t quietly disappear back into the earth. Neoprene is a synthetic rubber made from petroleum-based chemicals. It doesn’t biodegrade, and it doesn’t compost. Instead, it slowly breaks down into smaller pieces over decades (if not centuries), releasing microplastics and trace chemicals along the way. In other words, those leaky waders you toss in the trash might still be around when your great-grandkids are tying their first flies.
Now, we get it — waders don’t last forever. But just because they’re retired doesn’t mean they’re done. That’s where Repurposed Waders comes in. We collect worn-out neoprene, Gore-Tex, canvas, and any other material waders and give them a second life — as gear, apparel, and accessories built for a new adventure. It’s one small way to keep durable materials out of landfills and back in circulation, where they belong.
So next time you patch that leak one too many times, don’t toss those waders. Send them our way. We’ll make sure they live on — just in a slightly different form.
Because here at Repurposed Waders, we believe every pair deserves a second cast.
