Process

The great thing about a circular economy is that optimally over the entire life cycle of the product no waste is produced or rather this “waste” is no longer waste, in turn it is reused for a new product.

POLYOLA ECO FOAM RECYCLING PROCESS

How it works.

Step 1

Step 1: Sourcing

For the production of our Polyola blanks, we use our special PUR system which we source in Europe. It consists of >80% recycled polyol (from other industries), an MDI-based isocyanate with 60% bio-circular content (new formulation), the rest being virgin materials and water.

Step 2: Blank Production

Our blanks are manufactured not far from our headquarters in northern Spain in a production facility of our partner. For this purpose, the recycled polyol + MDI (isocyanate) is mixed and them expanded in a mold into our eco-foam blanks. The foam leftovers from this process are being collected for recycling.

Step 3: Surfboard Production

During the shaping process of our customers approximately 30-40% of the foam is removed in form of cut-offs and dust. These leftovers are ideally gathered and then returned to us.

Step 4: Surfing the Board

Approximately 50% of the initial foam material ends up in your finished surfboard. This board is loved and surfed until it's end of life. Since our foam is fully recyclable, the board is not dead - you can give it a new life. What to do with your broken board made out of Polyola foam? Check out our recycling guidelines!

Step 5: Collect Material

Shredding and compaction of the collected material. We collect until we have reached a critical amount of material, because only then, the energetic effort for transport and recycling makes sense.

Step 6: Transport

By compressing the material, we try to keep the transport volume and its emission footprint as low as possible. The recycling plant is located close to the French border with Germany.

Step 7: Recycling

The recycling process takes place in our partner's recycling plant. In a chemical process, the foam is liquified, which results in a recycled polyol that can be reintegrated.

Step 8: Closing the Loop

Enriching our base material (special PUR system) with the recycled polyol from the surfboard industry. Starting Q3 / 2023!

POLYOLA ECO FOAM RECYCLABLE MATERIAL

What is?

Post-Industrial Waste (Blank Production)

The waste produced during the traditional foaming process of a surfboard foam. This waste is made of the same material as our blank foam and accounts for about 15% of the total foamed material. Of course, this waste is collected and completely recycled.

Post-Industrial Waste (Shaping Process)

The foam waste generated at the stage of surfboard production. Our blank is shaped into its final surfboard design, which in turn produces approximately 30-40% in the form of off-cuts and dust. We depend on your cooperation to get all the offcuts and dust back to us to ensure the recycling of the foam.

Post-Consumer Waste (Surfboards after lifetime)

The foam within the surfboard. If your board reaches the end of its life, we can make sure that we make most of it, by taking the foam inside, separating it from other components like glassing, boxes, stringer etc. Please get in touch with us if you have a broken surfboard made from our foam.