Biofoam Surfboard Blanks Are Made With Plants
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.15.07
Yet another break has been ridden in the surfari that is the search for the ultimate sustainable surfboard. Biofoam surf blanks by HomeBlown have close to 50% of their foam sourced from plant-based agriculture product. Which plants exactly, they don’t appear to be saying. But they do suggest that Biofoam production results in 36% less global warming emissions and a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use. Compared to, we suppose, a standard polyurethane board, made with polyol resins that the plant ingredients are replacing. Homegrown have manufacturing facilities in the UK, US and South Africa citing that shipping raw materials for local production is 18 times more efficient than shipping pre-made blanks. This is part of the Eden Project’s ongoing Eco Board development, which has so far become a biofoam blank, wrapped in hemp, and bound with bio-based resins. (not to be confused with OceanGreen’s hemp covered balsa board). ::HomeBlown, via Sustainable Industries Journal and Wetsand.
Thanks to the reader who pointed out a typo, now corrected.
It is HomeBlown, not HomeGrown
Better yet, these boards run on water.
Bad joke.
Compostable boards next?
Let the jokes begin about your 5′ 2″ Fish suddenly ‘growing’ into a 9′ 10″ Long board overnight after you get it wet. ;-)
A company called Sonicfoam has developed a process of creating foam without the chemicals usually used. It's not a biofoam, but it certainly bests the current state of the art in any tally of environmental impact.
The link, which the comment system seems to have eaten, is http://www.sonicfoamblanks.com
2 shapers Hollingsworth Surfboards on the west coast and NVS on the east coast have commited to using biofoam exclusively for all their new boards.
You can check out info on the NVS "Green Boards" at nvssurf.com or email sales@nvssurf.com for more info.
Let's solve the hunger problem first people.