Dry Leaf: An Eco-Skate Prototype with Innovative Materials from Brazil
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 03. 4.08
Brazilian innovation group Let’s EVO and materials developer Fibra Sustainable Design have joined forces to create a sustainable skateboard. We’ve seen green skates before (Arbor’s and Sector 9’s are some examples), but besides this one being one of the first to be developed in Latin America, it was built with innovative materials developed by Fibra.
The cover layers are from Papunha Veneer, produced from the waste of the sustainable palm-heart industry. The second layer is a composite formed by 70% natural fibers (jute, malva and curaua) and 30% post-production recycled polypropylene. The natural fibers of this material are also produced on a fair trade model. Finally, the heart of the board is from 3-ply Organic Mosso Bamboo, grown without chemicals and in a sustainable model.
All of these materials are bonded with a vegetable-based adhesive extracted from species like castor oil plant, soy and corn.
Keep reading for more and a close up on how these materials look.
The longboard’s look was also inspired by nature, and the shape received the name of Folha Seca (Dry Leaf in English). It was designed by a group of collaborators that included designers Henrique Monnerat, Bruno Temer, Claudio Ferreira, Pedro Themoteo and Thiago Maia.
The starter of the group was Monnerat, who began developing skates at the age of 17 and created the brand EVO, which became notorious in Rio de Janeiro’s under skate scenario. He started thinking about a sustainable board when he met the people from Fibra, who had been working with the development of new materials since 2004, and created the platform Let’s EVO.
In its website, the group documented the development process of the board inviting people to take part.
The skate was finished last December and entered the Volvo Sports Design competition, in which it was a finalist. The group is now looking for partners to start producing the skate for commercial sales.
Let’s EVO new project is the creation of an Electric Mobility Device. Check them out at their website.
::Let's EVO ::Fibra Sustainable Design Materials
A close-up on the skate's materials.
The design sketches to get the leaf shape.
A closer look at the board.
This is a great post. Thank you for highlighting ways people around the world are aiming to involve everyone in growing greener lifestyles and communities. I hope it takes off in the commercial sector :)
I am a graphic designer and lover of sweet new products. Last summer I was asked to paint the bottom the long board my friend rides on. I ended up painting a feather the whole length of the board not only for its shape but also for its concept of being "light as a feather". I love to see that these designers are utilizing the shape of the board to offer up even more information about its natural construction, a green board in the shape of a leaf. The collective consciousness of the world is just wonderful.
"The cover layers are from Papunha Veneer, produced from the waste of the sustainable palm-heart industry."
The use of the by-product of the hearts of palm industry concerns me because of the large problem with harvesting the heart of palm, which results in the killing of the palm tree...great for the rainforests!
The acai fruit comes from this type of palm tree. The harvesting of this fruit is "sustainable harvesting". How is cutting the top few inches of a palm tree (which is all that is used), then killing the tree, considered sustainable?
A good place to start...
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2664.1998.00295.x?cookieSet=1
Sharon,
I am Bruno Temer, one of the member of Fibra Design Sustentável, an I think there are some things you should know:
Usualy the harvesting of palm hearts is very problematic, but in the case of the Pupunha Palm hearts it is quite different, we do not have to grow to hole palm tree to cut the top of it, the Pupunha palm heart production beggins with two years old palm trees, that are completely used for food production.
Other thing, in order to not depend on some seed suppliers, there are the matrices, that are growned in a way to produce the Fruits ( for food ) and the seeds ( for replantation).
The material we use are old matrices( the fruits and seeds producers), after 13- 15 years old the seeds become weak and not good for the replantaion. Besides the palm trees become to high, what makes really difficult to reach for the seeds and weakens the soil for the other young and highly productive matrices.
Therefore I really believe, and work hard for that.
Our production is really sustainable, and is made in partnership with the palmheart producers, respecting also the concepts of Fair Trade.
If you have any other questions I would be glad to answer it.
Best Regards From Rio de Janeiro