Plastic waste has become a HUGE global problem, particularly in our oceans. It’s become a scourge for marine and wildlife. Once useful fishnets are now being discarded and amount to 10% of the oceans’ plastic waste.
Bureo Skateboards is trying to change this. Based in Chile, this skate company recycles discarded fishnets into stylish plastic skateboards. Started by “three crazy gringos”, they’ve created The Minnow. This product utilizes very little plastic (by weight) but has a real value to it. Only 30 square feet of plastic fishnet goes into making each board. It’s all done through the team’s initiative, ‘Net Positiva’, Chile’s first ever fishnet collection and recycling program.
Bureo’s Kickstarter campaign hit its initial fundraising goal in three days. This will fund its first production run and help market the boards to skate shops. The company plans a road trip from San Diego to San Francisco this summer to engage with the skateboard industry and host beach cleanups along the way.
A complete skateboard is worth more than $100. And a cool skateboard that’s made sustainably? Whatever the price, you can’t get better than that!