Environmental impact of skateboard gear manufacturing

[Bongwater Mojito]

Hi Slap,

are there any figures published about environmental impact of manufacturing skateboarding hard goods? I would figure smelting and casting aluminum is at least very energy-intensive. It feels strange that there is no recycling of old trucks in place - grinding through to axle still leaves vast of the material intact - re-smelting should be possible, if not economically viable.

[Roisto]

This is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. Also other environmental impacts of skateboarding.

Worn out trucks you could simply recycle with other metals. I don’t really see a problem there.

But what about decks? What’s the glue made of? Are the dyes and screen prints environmentally friendly? Are decks biodegradable?

And then shoes. Shoes are mostly still ok when they’re done for skating. Sole or side blows out and they’re done. Then you just throw them in the trash and none of it gets recycled. That’s not good. How would you recycle shoes though, I don’t know but keeping on doing it like this is not sustainable. Also most of the rubbers in shoes are synthetic from my understanding. Do the shoes release microplastics when wearing down or is the synthetic rubber something that is more biodegradable? What about synthetic shoes? Microplastics? What are the environmental impacts of suede, leather, synthetic and canvas shoes compared to each other?

Wheels are made of polyurethane and they wear down a whole bunch releasing microplastics all the time. How big of an issue is polyurethane microplastic? I don’t know but I’d be interested in learning more about it. Also are urethane wheels made of fossil sources? If so, I do think we need to find a non-fossil alternative as we can’t keep on pumping oil from the ground and pretend it’s all good.

Sorry for highjacking a bit but this is something I’ve wanted to make a thread about for quite a while.

[Reese]

I've been hounding the locals to compile grip tape scraps for years now. They keep calling me a "koouuk" or something idk

Think ov how many boards could be gripped all because of me

[Sloppy Krooks]

There are so many problems with the ‘recycling’ route that I don’t see it as feasible.

Unless it is WAY cheaper to melt down old wheels and trucks, the profit margin capitalism demands will not allow it.

If we lived in a sane world that prioritized minimum environmental damage, skateboards would probably look a fair bit different.

For one, everything that couldn’t be eventually composted would be made to last as long as possible, and then able to disassemble into separate recyclable parts. Trucks would have axles that could be removed at the end of their life, shoes would be designed for their next life as material for something else (the book Cradle to Cradle talks about this in depth).

But it’s not going to happen in this economy. I think the next best thing is to remove the overly wasteful throwaway culture skating has developed.

Decks are designed to break after a relatively short time. Shoes are designed to have a moderate lifespan because of our collective bias for griptape.  And so many people on here love that wastefulness. Getting a ‘fresh deck’ and ‘new kicks’ every month or two.

It’s kinda ridiculous. Even though they might currently employ chemicals and solvents that are not great for the environment (and most wood glues are not either, for that matter), Powell has the right idea making decks that last 2-3x as long as a regular deck.

Helping get people away from that ‘planned obsolescence’ and ‘throwaway’ culture with more durable products and say, grip tape that performs well yet doesn’t destroy shoes are big two areas where waste could be reduced.

[Bongwater Mojito]

Sorry for highjacking a bit but this is something I’ve wanted to make a thread about for quite a while.

No hijacking happened, just was too lazy to write more - been thinking same things lately. Instead, thanks for filling in

[Bongwater Mojito]

And so many people on here love that wastefulness. Getting a ‘fresh deck’ and ‘new kicks’ every month or two.

Can't deny it - setting up a new deck changes at least the subjective feeling of performance. No idea how much of that is about marketing mumbo jumbo that has been running wild in the skateboarding industry and culture as long as I can remember. Rationally considered it is harmful consumerism par excellence, unfortunately.

Does any skateboard company even mention environmental footprint? Only one I know of that has some stance in the matter is Jeremie Daclin's Film, sporting Yvon Chouinard's "1% for the Planet". I'd hope to see more of that.

[cosmicgypsies]

satori were on some shit, wasnt aware they even still existed

[fur lined sea]

I think about this a lot and would like to do more about it. I always hope someone else can get more life out of my old stuff like boards and wheels.

Habitat shoes were made out of water-based glues. I still have a few pairs. Not sure if any other shoe companies do this now, though.

[Abyss1]

satori were on some shit, wasnt aware they even still existed

I heard a rumor about the owner from someone who worked in the company around 2011 and that he didn’t pay skaters and stole a lot of their money and dude is somewhat blacklisted...I used to hype Satori shit and dude set me straight with a few stories.  I think I-path was the first to make hemp and soles from recycled tires

[beatifk]

Skateboarding is just a constant buying/destroying/dumping cycle. It really bums me out that it's like that, but not skating would bum me out even more.

I try to make up for it with everything else I do in my life. Making conscious decisions about my work, my buying habits, what I eat, how long my showers are, how often I run the a/c in my apt, etc.

But skateboarding will always be wasteful and destructive. Skate and Destroy as they say. Destroy the earth.

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Remember when Lakai made shoes from recycled old skate shoes for a minute? That was a great idea

[pointandclick]

suprised no one makes skate shrink wrap thats vegetable based or easier to degrade. i would back that.

[DD]

suprised no one makes skate shrink wrap thats vegetable based or easier to degrade. i would back that.

Same, or it would be nice if there was an option to buy boards without the shrink wrap, or just wrap the boards in recycled packaging paper too keep the graphic safe.

Speaking of graphics, heat transfer film is thrown away once the graphic is printed, right?

Griptape is another thing, what do you do with griptape when it is no longer grippy? I'm in hopes to see eco-friendly/biodegradable or at least reausable griptapes that don't destroy shoes that much someday.

Habitat shoes were made out of water-based glues. I still have a few pairs. Not sure if any other shoe companies do this now, though.

SoleTech use water-based glues, Don Brown mentioned this somewhere, I am pretty sure.

Etnies is doing something called "Bloom": https://soletechnology-catalogues.cld.bz/etnies-BASPAT-info-sheet/14/
I haven't looked into this much, but seems like it's an eco-friendly alternative to rubber.


Cool thread.

[Bongwater Mojito]

I try to make up for it with everything else I do in my life. Making conscious decisions about my work, my buying habits, what I eat, how long my showers are, how often I run the a/c in my apt, etc.

This is why it would be interesting to know actual footprint figures - for scaling. It is possible that all recycled materials in a skateboard are in vain once you decide to drive alone to sesh that cool DIY in another town.

[50mm]

With every board manufactured the environment gets a little radder.

[HyenaChaser]

The only solace I take is that it’s somewhat less wasteful than surfing or snowboarding. I mean, probably.

This has also been on my mind for a long time.

The best I can do is give old decks to people who want to repurpose them for shelves or something.

Shoes can sometimes be dropped off at a Nike store where they shred them into filler for AstroTurf. Probably a net zero at best but it’s something. The classic trade with a different stance skater is also something.

Trucks, wheels and bearings are tougher, try to just skate them as long as absolutely possible. Repair before replace if possible. Trucks could be reused for coat hangers. Shit I don’t know, the worlds going up in flames.

[cosmicgypsies]

The only solace I take is that it’s somewhat less wasteful than surfing or snowboarding. I mean, probably.

This has also been on my mind for a long time.

The best I can do is give old decks to people who want to repurpose them for shelves or something.

Shoes can sometimes be dropped off at a Nike store where they shred them into filler for AstroTurf. Probably a net zero at best but it’s something. The classic trade with a different stance skater is also something.

Trucks, wheels and bearings are tougher, try to just skate them as long as absolutely possible. Repair before replace if possible. Trucks could be reused for coat hangers. Shit I don’t know, the worlds going up in flames.

ive seen people do all sorta shit with old trucks, i personally have an old thunder that i use to hang my keys off

[Sila]

This is always in the back of my mind. I love skating but have always despised being part of a wasteful consumer culture but it is what it is. It feels weird not knowing where my wood comes from and whether it's the product of some nasty deforestation or not. It's cool that more people are thinking about this stuff and taking the environment into consideration. It's so odd that humanity has reached a point where we have become so self absorbed and unashamedly contributing to the woes of the natural world.

[ArtVandelay]

Skateboarding Enviromental Impact Report : NOT FUCKING GOOD AT ALL.

[Bongwater Mojito]

Waste and pollution on personal level is one thing, like leaving your old bolts/boards other thrash at spots and parks.

Adjusting the manufacturing environmental impact is another.

I think both could be changed/improved by demanding better information and guidance from companies. Remember that we're talking about marketing power that once got us to focus our boards because it was "cool".

[Sativa Lung]

I've been hounding the locals to compile grip tape scraps for years now. They keep calling me a "koouuk" or something idk

Think ov how many boards could be gripped all because of me

I do this with all my grip. After 6 or so you can mostly grip a new deck if you get creative. If you do it make sure to post it in the setup thread so you can trigger people.

As far as recycling other stuff, anything that still has useful life left in it i donate. My city has a nonprofit called Trash to Thrash that hosts events to teach kids to skate and sends them home with a board, and it seems like other charities doing something similar are becoming more common. Or you can take the classic route and just give it to a kid at the skate park. With shoes/clothes I usually give them to the homeless dudes in my area. They'll take literally anything made of metal too so they can scrap it.

But yeah, just throwing stuff away is lame. I did junk removal /hauling for years and it's insane how wasteful our culture is. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work but you can usually find someone who can use your old stuff one way or another if you look around.

[BALARGUE]

Skateboarding Enviromental Impact Report : NOT FUCKING GOOD AT ALL.

this

Most skateboarding hardware are made of composite materials (decks / shoes / bearings), recycling these is a pain in the ass considering you have first to separate glue from wood or leather from rubber etc.
The challenge of recycling things is not about just wanting to do it. It's about collection and sorting. And it raises the economical aspect.

Reuse is an option, recycling is not

it's different for trucks but they still are composite materials (the axle is not the same material as the hanger for instance). But the separation is way easier for metals and i'm pretty sure something can be done with trucks recycling.

[Roisto]

Don't you guys have metal recycling bins where you live? I wouldn't think twice throwing a set of broken trucks in the metal recycle bin here in Finland. 😮

[Sativa Lung]

Don't you guys have metal recycling bins where you live? I wouldn't think twice throwing a set of broken trucks in the metal recycle bin here in Finland. 😮

In the US it depends on where you live. Some places it's mandatory, some places it's voluntary, and some places have no recycling programs. Now that we can't just send our trash to China some places have done away with residential recycling pick up since it costs more. It's actually a big problem that a lot of people are unaware of. And if course since this is 'Murica it's more important to make money than it is to..ya know, actually have a habitable planet for future generations.

We do have scrap metal yards that will pay you for it, then sell it to the processers that melt it down and reuse it. You can actually make some nice side cash doing that if you're willing to go around on garbage day and collect stuff from the curb and sort it. I don't know what prices are like now but a few years ago a truck load of unsorted shred metal would get you a hundred bucks or so.

[os89]

Skateboarding Enviromental Impact Report : NOT FUCKING GOOD AT ALL.

Yea I'm going to have to agree. Even brand new wheels/trucks/bearings will usually have that warning. Something like "this product according to the state of California is known to contain cancer causing chemicals".

[Roisto]

Expand Quote

Don't you guys have metal recycling bins where you live? I wouldn't think twice throwing a set of broken trucks in the metal recycle bin here in Finland. 😮

[close]

In the US it depends on where you live. Some places it's mandatory, some places it's voluntary, and some places have no recycling programs. Now that we can't just send our trash to China some places have done away with residential recycling pick up since it costs more. It's actually a big problem that a lot of people are unaware of. And if course since this is 'Murica it's more important to make money than it is to..ya know, actually have a habitable planet for future generations.

We do have scrap metal yards that will pay you for it, then sell it to the processers that melt it down and reuse it. You can actually make some nice side cash doing that if you're willing to go around on garbage day and collect stuff from the curb and sort it. I don't know what prices are like now but a few years ago a truck load of unsorted shred metal would get you a hundred bucks or so.

That's wild. Recycling metals is relatively simple and with aluminium for example making something from recycled aluminium requires only a small fraction of the energy compared to making stuff from mined bauxite. I can understand economy dictating a lot of these things even if I don't agree with it but recycling metals and especially aluminium is also economically feasible.

[Sativa Lung]

Yeah unfortunately it just goes to show how much of the last recycling revolution was economically inspired rather than born of genuine concern for the planet. Nowadays with oil prices dropping its actually cheaper to manufacture virgin plastics than it is to recycle it, which is another reason why it's becoming more common for western countries to bury or burn their trash. Metal recycling is still profitable but not so much so that it offsets the cost of collecting and sorting it in some places so even that's disappearing.

[HyenaChaser]

This seems like one way to reuse old decks. Might have to do some prep work with them but in addition to some cheap parts from the hardware store, they're at least not just ending up in the ground.

[Roisto]

This seems like one way to reuse old decks. Might have to do some prep work with them but in addition to some cheap parts from the hardware store, they're at least not just ending up in the ground.

That's pretty cool actually. Seen such before but this seems more nice and minimalistic than ones I've seen before. 👍

[cosmicgypsies]

aside from giving away spares to locals or foundations like skatepal etc, can also redecorate them if you're an arty character, create a shelf as seen above, could prolly create a chair or some garden stool/bench kinda thing, seen em turned into jewellery or go full jimmy boyes and make a teepee