Not long ago the majority of surfboards made of polyurethane were considered to be un-recyclable.   Today new methods have been developed that can transform discarded surfboards into asphalt or concrete which can be used to pave city roads or as a recycled surfboards.  Old wet suits are being recycled into yoga mats and in so doing reducing the estimated 250 tons of waste created from neoprene wetsuit scraps.

The majority of the 750 000 surfboards produced annually is comprised of ‘polyurethane’ foam.  During the process of production, toxic chemicals, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds are released into the atmosphere.  After shaping the board 20% of the foam is discarded as waste.  Considered, until recently, as being un-recyclable it accumulated in landfills or in waste dumps. 

Resurf Recycling and Green Foam Blanks, two Southern California based organisations have developed methods to recycle ‘polyurethane’.  The recycled surfboards are proving to measure up to modern surfboards in durability, lightness and function alike, just without the waste.

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