OneSails GBR South joins sail re-use network: opens doors for drop-offs
OneSails GBR South has become the second OneSails loft to join a sustainable sail re-use network.
The re-use and re-purposing network is run by Clean Sailors, under the moniker of ReSail. The organisation says it’s a global platform dedicated to promoting the re-use and re-purposing of sails, keeping valuable materials in circulation for as long as possible. First launched in 2022 after a successful pilot project in the south-west UK, it now has over 40 partners in 11 countries around the world. It says that in many cases, old sails can be repurposed into ‘new’ sails for smaller boats, and can also be turned into everyday items such as bags, jackets, canvas and other lifestyle goods.
By joining the initiative, and opening its doors at Hamble Point, Southampton, for the donation of end-of-life sails, OneSails GBR South is helping sailors, sailmakers, and marine businesses find new uses for pre-owned sails, reducing landfill waste, and contributing to a more sustainable sailing industry. Plus, it hopes to inspire other lofts and industry players to take action towards reducing waste and maximising the lifespan of sail cloth.
Sails are made from complex synthetic materials and aren’t formally recycled anywhere in the world; currently over 97 per cent of sails end up in a landfill or are incinerated at the end of their life, says a joint statement.
As the first sailmaker brand in the world to join ReSail by Clean Sailors, OneSails is a leader in committing to a more circular and sustainable future for the sailing industry.
“Driving sustainability forward has been at the heart of the OneSails brand for over a decade,” says Wilf Chaplin, lead sail designer at OneSails GBR South. “Joining ReSail by Clean Sailors is a natural extension of our commitment to responsible sailmaking, and OneSails GBR South is proud to be part of a pioneering movement that actively helps sailors and businesses find environmentally friendly solutions for end-of-life sails and sail textile. We look forward to providing our local sailing community with a drop-off for their old sails, and in turn, to providing local organisations and businesses the opportunity to utilise sail textile for a variety of use-cases.”
Through this collaboration, OneSails GBR South will collect pre-owned, end-of-life sails at their sail loft and ensure they find a second life — whether through reuse, upcycling, or innovative repurposing. This commitment is both another step forward for OneSails, and an invitation for others to follow suit, building momentum for a global movement in responsible end-of-life management.
Holly Manvell, founder of Clean Sailors and ReSail, says OneSails’ continued participation through additional lofts joining the organisation strengthens the industry’s conversation around end-of-life materials. “Their involvement underlines the importance of collective industry action in prioritising sustainability and circularity.”
OneSails – which has a global sailmaking network of 52 sail lofts worldwide – produces a wide range of products for boats ranging from dinghy classes to ocean and offshore sailing yachts. It manufactures 4T Forte, a continuous yarn composite. The glues, resins and solvents used in the sailmaking process have been replaced by heat fusion, and the company says that the base polymer is 100 per cent recyclable in a standard waste separation process.
Partnerships such as these are baked into the company’s ethos. In 2023, OneSails UK partnered with the marine conservation and campaigning charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). OneSails says this collaboration forms part of its commitment to help protect the oceans and become more sustainable, and in 2022 it was part of a consortium making recyclable oppies.
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