Atmosphere-wise, they discovered that given the CO2 absorbed all through the cork’s lifecycle, the EC board had a damaging worth of CO2 emissions (-116.229 kg CO2/m3), making it the one kind of core materials with a damaging carbon footprint when in comparison with conventional blanks similar to polyurethane (PU) or Expanded polystyrene (EPS). The research additionally confirmed that the black cork used within the surfboard might retain its important properties for greater than 40 years; after that, it may be reused for various purposes or just floor for incineration.
The principle draw back associated to the cost-effectiveness of black cork: expanded foams are lighter and cheaper to supply, and though cork is less complicated to recycle, additionally it is extra restricted by way of provide. “Mass manufacturing might be at all times very tough relating to cork-based merchandise,” explains José. “Nevertheless, because the research exhibits, the usage of environment-friendly supplies may help cut back the ecological footprint of surfboards, so by choosing alternate options similar to expanded cork, flax fibre for the pores and skin, and bio-resins, we are able to cut back as much as 62.8% of equal CO2 emissions.”
As such, the hassle to make the surf trade extra sustainable isn’t one-sided, and, as José emphasises, it goes past the creation of producing alternate options. “The surfer shopping for a surfboard is, in any case, a client, so, value issues. And since it is going to be almost not possible to beat the associated fee/high quality ratio of surfboards based mostly on oil-based foams, consciousness is the most important attraction for the browsing neighborhood to alter its mindset, to the purpose a surfer will take into consideration the environmental affect of a surfboard when shopping for it.”
The unhealthy information is, no matter how “eco” surfers declare to be, relating to sustainability we’re nonetheless discovering our toes. The excellent news is that even when the method is sluggish, it’s shifting ahead, evolving from what it was seventy-odd years in the past, away from what was as soon as important however has now grow to be detrimental, towards one thing we are able to really boast about.
“Cork is just not the one pure materials with potential, there are various various kinds of pure fibres, similar to flax, hemp, sisal, and so forth., in addition to different tree barks that can be utilized as pure mobile supplies,” says José. “And because the surf trade begins working with such kind of supplies, costs are more likely to cut back, which is able to make simpler to persuade clients to go totally pure.”
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For extra info on expanded cork surfboards be at liberty to achieve out to José M. D. Correia or Dr Ricardo Sousa.
