Blog action day is here, and this years big environment topic is climate change. Here is the dilemma facing Montreal surfers: we need to travel to get to decent surf spots. So right a way, we have no fix for this problem. We can only minimize our contribution to global warming by road tripping with friends, and buying smaller, fuel efficient cars.
Most of the equipment that we need, or the materials needed for production, must be shipped from the United States or over seas. So as community, we must make other choices if we want to take a more sustainable approach to feeding our surfing need. The clothes we use (rash guards and board shorts) can be made from recycled plastic, and is recyclable when they have worn out (check out Mountain Equipment Co-op and Patagonia).
Surfboards are made from unsustainable sources. Foam is a petroleum product (oil refining is highly toxic), some types of fiberglass are treated with chromium (carcinogen), and the resins used contain volatile organic compounds (voc's, mildly irritating to carcinogen).
So the only choice left is to make informed decisions about the products we buy. Choosing a local shaper is the the most environmentally friendly choice for surfboards right now. Local shapers produce their boards by hand and therefore have pride in their work. Higher quality and durable boards are the result of their labour; they are less likely to get thrown into a landfill somewhere. Buying local also ensures that one is supporting an ethical workplace. Most factory produced boards are polyurethane (PU) which is highly toxic to the production environment.
Local Montreal shapers use polystyrene (EPS) as the core of their boards. EPS is less toxic to produce, and requires epoxy resin, which releases less voc's (1/2 to 2/3 less tha polyesther resin) and makes an extremely durable shell. By choosing a Montreal shaper, one is supporting a local craftsman, and the board is being produced in a less toxic environment. (for more about PU and EPS boards check here). Frenchy's and Elder Surfboards take this approach, and produce durable boards that are less likely to suffer serious damage.
2Imagine is taking a different approach. More Sustainable materials are being used and developed. They are using bamboo fabric instead of fiberglass. Bamboo is renewable, absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and they hope to be using vegetable oil based epoxy within a year. 2Imagine is insisting that their boards be made in facility that follows strict environmental standards; recycling off cuts, vinegar based cleaning products, environmentally friendly office materials, and office material recycling.
These two approaches differ in their methods, but have the same goal in mind; producing quality surfboards and causing less environmental harm. The one similarity is that they both use EPS, which is recyclable, but not in Canada right now. For a surfboard to be recyclable, the fabric must first be stripped off, then shipped to the US. A process and cost few are willing to accept (There is a plant in Terrebonne that recycles polystyrene, but it is not known if they accept foam from a stripped down surfboard).
What is becoming clearer with more emphasis being put on the environment, the choices we make directly affect the world we live in. It is up to everyone to make the least damaging choices. In the short term it may seem to cost more, but in the long run, the rewards are greater.
Mike D.
Montreal Shapers:
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Blog Action Day: Sustainable Surfing?
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