1 billion umbrellas end up in landfill each year, mainly because people purchase cheap umbrellas in a panic, which quickly break or are forgotten when they are left somewhere to dry.
We believe in longevity and creating an umbrella of high-quality, so it doesn't fail on you and need replacing. Our focus has been on sustainability through durability, as it is more efficient to produce something once that will last for years.
There are umbrellas on the market that use recycled materials. Generally, this is recycled material in the canopy. While this is a great initiative, it is very difficult to recycle the material beyond this. So, if these umbrellas break, the problem of waste is still there.
Umbrellas are a mixture of materials, so people would have to separate each material in order to recycle them, which rarely happens.
Our medium term aim is to find a way to use recycled materials while still maintaining the durability and quality that is so important to us. We are currently lining up recycled plastic for the case and considering recycled material for the canopy.