In 2009 there were 9 Million people who skate in America alone. Skateboarding is a growing extreme sport with more and more people picking it up every year. Apart of being a teenager in society today it is our responsibility to use sustainable solutions to continue doing what we love. This project will show the various ways that skateboarding companies take to help this growing sport
Recycled Skateboards International
Recycled Skateboards or RSI as they like to be called is a fantastic company that turns used skateboards and skateboard parts into jewelry and art. They have a huge belief that if we use them, we should recycle them. From book marks to necklaces, earrings to wine racks, the company creates quality and beautiful products out of things that would’ve ended up in landfills.
Element
Element is a skate company that sells clothes, accessories and skateboards. Started in 1992, the companies goal from the start was to be the most ethical and honest they could. Element achieves this goal by using environmental friendly solutions when creating their clothes. All of elements flannels and woven shirts are created in a solar powered factory, that has 180 solar panels and 120 rechargeable batteries. The slogan that they use is future is nature which really exemplifies the attitude we should have has teenagers in society.
Vans
Vans is another company that incorporates board sports and green industries. Built on the skate/snow/surf culture, vans realise that in order to be able to keep supporting surf and snow, they need to be environmentally friendly. The Vans distribution centre is in the top 25% of distribution centres in terms of energy efficiency. On top of this their company uses recyclable packaging and are looking to create shoes out of recycled products.
Recycled Skate Parks
Nowadays, skate parks cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make, and have a terrible effect on our environment. A by-product of the creation of concrete is C02 which ruins our atmosphere. Concrete absorbs sunlight, increasing the temperature of the Earth, and changes the reflectivity of the earth in what is called the albedo effect. When concrete gets damaged or is torn down, it becomes useless and is very hard to recycle. This is a problem. As youth we have a responsibility to protect our future earth. This doesn't mean we can't do what we love.
In a place called Girona Spain, an amazing skate park has been created using recycled materials. Using old barriers, recycled building supplies, incorporating an old shipping container and incorporating trees into the park, the creators manage to build a sustainable skate park that doesn't dramatically increase albedo and allowed a community of youth to help build it.
Canadian Ramp Company is another skate company that makes sustainability its responsibility. Running an initiative called green skate, the company has a list of expectations they tick off to make a skate park more environmentally friendly. Choosing already neglected areas instead of parkland,
My Personal Project
This is my personal project, where I am making a skateboard rail out of recycled materials. I had to gather all the materials, measure, and cut them all to size after planning it out. This project lets me do something I love while also helping the environment, so it is a win-win situation.