The Oceanis Yacht 60: BENETEAU's famous sailboat made from recyclable resin
After several years of fruitful collaboration on the innovative Elium® resin, Arkema and BENETEAU reached a new milestone in 2025.
The Vendée-based shipyard now incorporates this 100% recyclable thermoplastic resin into the mass production of the Oceanis Yacht 60, the flagship model of the Oceanis range. With this concrete advance, the Oceanis Yacht 60 is paving the way for more eco-responsible boating, whereas the majority of boats today are made from thermosetting resins—most often polyesters—which are difficult to recycle.
Elium®: an Arkema innovation for a 100% recyclable boat
The result of Arkema's research and development, Elium® is a unique thermoplastic acrylic resin that can replace polyester resins, which are most commonly used in the construction of sailboat hulls. Fully recyclable, it rethinks the life cycle of boats thanks to a proven depolymerization process that restores the original monomer. This can then be reused to produce new resin, thus forming part of a closed-loop system. Elium® resin is therefore part of a virtuous cycle in which the reuse of materials reduces the need for raw materials while also reducing waste.
This technology paves the way for a new generation of composite materials that combine sustainability, high mechanical performance, ease of use, and above all, recyclability!
BENETEAU adopts Elium® resin for the production of all its Oceanis Yacht 60 models
Already proven on several First 44 models, this revolutionary resin is now being used to manufacture one of the flagships of the Oceanis range: the Oceanis Yacht 60 is the first sailboat in this category to benefit from this technology in the manufacture of its hull.
This strategic choice reaffirms BENETEAU's commitment to more sustainable nautical solutions, without compromising on the quality, comfort, technical and aesthetic qualities of the sailboat that have made the brand's reputation.
Technical collaboration at the heart of success
The integration of Arkema's Elium® resin into BENETEAU's industrial processes required meticulous work to adapt BENETEAU's production processes. Arkema's teams supported the shipyard in optimizing the hull infusion and molding phases, ensuring perfectly controlled implementation.
This exemplary collaboration illustrates Arkema's ability to co-develop, with its industrial partners, innovative solutions with a lower environmental impact to meet the environmental challenges of tomorrow.
