| Leftover polyurethane dust to be reused |
| Thursday, 25 August 2011 14:27 |
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It is no secret that the surf community has battled the challenge of what to do with leftover polyurethane dust, which is the result of shaping a surfboard from a block of foam. A major product category for surf retail business, surfboard sales generated more than $160.6 million in 2010 according to the 2010 SIMA Retail Distribution Study. As a community, the surf industry strives to protect and preserve the very livelihood of their sport – the world’s oceans and beaches. Staying true to their commitment to the environment, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Board Builders’ Committee is proud to recognize a new solution for excess dust that will also protect the environment. California-based surfboard brands Lost Surfboards, Dewey Weber Surfboards, Soul Stix Surfboards, Stone Steps Manufacturing, T. Patterson Surfboards and Channel Islands Surfboards, along with foam manufacturers US Blanks and Surf Blanks America and cutting house Pro-Cam, have joined forces with the makers of Spillinex. By donating their leftover dust to Spillinex, shaping dust is now being reused rather than simply being disposed. As certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be an environmentally safe sorbent for use during the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill, Spillinex is a powder compound that is used to contain and absorb a variety of liquids, including the ability to absorb oil in water, leaving clean water after removal. Surfboard dust accounts for up to 80% of the Spillinex composition. “Not only have they found a home for our dust, but they’ve also come up with a compound utilizing it so that it actually helps protect the environment. The board builder community is passionate about protecting the environment and I want to thank Spillinex for taking the initiative to reach out to the SIMA Board Builder Committee and for allowing us to help them connect with some of our industry’s leaders to make this dream a reality.” Strengthening both the surf community and Spillinex’s commitment to the environment, Spillinex has pledged to donate one cent per one pound of reused dust to the SIMA Environmental Fund. Through a grant-making program the SIMA Environmental Fund promotes twenty ecological and environmental organizations whose efforts are focused on enhancing the oceanic environment. |
