Spinlock, a design-led sailing and water sports brand based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, has a long history of crafting innovative rope-holding equipment, lifejackets, and accessories. Their range includes flotation devices, bags, and packs designed for sailing, boating, paddleboarding, fishing, and kite surfing. Spinlock also creates cutting-edge custom products worn by ocean racing sailors and top athletes, including INEOS Britannia and Clipper Round the World Race competitors.
As a B Corp certified company and recently ISO14001 accredited, Spinlock embrace 'using business as a force for good’ and on ‘on balancing profit with purpose’.
Becoming B Corp involves a thorough process that examines every aspect of a business, assessing our commitment to having a positive impact on society, the environment, workers, customers, and communities.
One of Spinlock's most used components is the inflatable part of the lifejacket, called the bladder, which is cut by Spinlock’s two laser-guided cutter plotter machines, then welded and machined to become an inflatable bladder.
Spinlock’s design team in Cowes engineer the patterns to be cut as efficiently as possible and ensuring as much material is used as possible from a roll. Recently they started replacing standard webbing used on a component, to using final offcuts of the bladder material, further minimising fabric waste.
Spinlock have provided the new Sustainable Fashion degree course on the Isle of Wight with some remnants of the bladder fabric to use in their latest project that explores innovative ways to repurpose manufacturing waste.
One of only two-degree courses on the Isle of Wight, partnering with Platform One and Chichester University, the course leader hopes to encourage more students to join this inspiring course, training them in garment construction and developing employability skills preparing them to make an impact in the workplace as an expert in sustainability.
One of the talented students, Amber, is using off-cuts of the Spinlock bladder turning some of Spinlock’s unused scrap material into stylish, sustainable fashion pieces, inspired by bioluminescent plankton - we can’t wait to share the final results!
