Reuse, repurpose, recycle old sails

Despite their exceptional durability and UV protection, every sail reaches the end of its life cycle at some point. When this happens, consider your options to reuse, repurpose, and recycle your sails instead of simply throwing them away. These three terms, “reuse,” “repurpose,” and “recycle,” all represent a different approach for how you may bring new life to a well-used product. Quantum Sails Director of Sustainability, Lara Poljsak, explains the differences.

Recycling involves processing the product to extract some, or all, of the original materials and fibers, which can be used again to create something new. There are many options available to give your old sails new life. Below are a few avenues you can explore to determine what best fits your sails in their current condition and what is available to you in your area.

Reusing a sail means using it again as it was originally intended, a sail! This can mean that the sail is used again on the same boat with some maintenance to improve durability, on the same type of boat but at a lower competitive level, or on a different type of boat with a recut of the sail. If you are ready to get a new sail, but your old one is still usable, you may sell or donate it to a local yacht club, marina, or another sailor. – Full story