Tag Archives: Sustainable skateboard

These sustainable skateboards are handcrafted to be unique for every owner

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Even though the only place you can skateboard to right now is the grocery store, we can all still look forward to a nice summer day when we will be able to hit the streets again…of course, still staying 6 feet away. While admiring my board that is now resting under the couch, I came across the Rustek skateboards and longboards which got me all excited about the future summer day. If you skateboard, you are always on the lookout for a cooler, newer board, and Rustek’s latest ones are exactly what a responsible outdoor enthusiast should have!

The Rustek team prides itself on hand-selecting the highest quality natural materials which are then shaped into an aesthetic, durable, and superior board by experienced craftsmen. Since natural materials are used, each Rustek board is one-of-its-kind which adds to the appeal and the general persona of skateboarders which always stands out from the crowd – now you have a board to reflect it! The brand ethos and product design is clearly inspired by nature and is showcased in their commitment to the environment, they only use FSC certified sustainably sourced wood and responsibly sourced textiles.

From their versatile range, I love the Tesselate Longboard – it features a drop through truck that mounts for easy pushing, smooth commuting, and intuitive response. The footbeds coupled with medium flex provide extra stability, control, and a bump-free ride. My other favorite is the Burnside Hybrid Skateboard because it is the classic concept of an all-star shred-everything deck. Hop, drop and cut curbs around town, this board can do it all with you. I know exactly what I am doing post quarantine – sharpening my skills as a sustainable skateboarder!

Designer: Rustek

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Made from old tires, this skateboard is the sustainability boost the sports tech industry needs!

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“Recyclability” and “Sustainability” seem to be the two keywords that have taken the design industry by storm. Every product designed today is being created keeping in mind the environment. And this awareness is especially abundant in the younger generation of designers. Paolo Gentile is one such product designer. He recently graduated from the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan. In a brilliant decision to combine sports tech with sustainability, he created ‘Frammento’, a collection of skateboards made from the rubber obtained from End-of-Life tires (ELT).

Designer: Paolo Gentile

Paolo says he was inspired to bring Frammento to life “[while] hanging out at a children’s playground. I became intrigued by the floor material and after some search and realizing the low cost of the rubber pellets, I started to think of new applications for it”. When End-of-Life tires undergo a final shredding process, their rubber is transformed into granules that may be cheap but manage to retain all the technical properties of rubber. Paolo realized that the properties of these granules; grip, durability, elasticity, flexibility, impact resistance, and traction are exactly the characteristics a nifty skateboard needs! Hence he decided to revive the almost extinct tires and transform them into a collection of recyclable skateboards. With Frammento, a new use for recycled rubber was discovered.

Skateboard gif

‘Frammento’ was inspired by the rubber pellets used in children’s playgrounds. 

With the help of the companies Ecopneus and Casei Ecosystems, Paolo learned about End-of-Life tires and how to use them. He also collected the material with their help. After the collection of innumerous pellets, he needed to give them form. The pellets were combined with glue and the mixture was poured into a skateboard shaped mold. The mixture was then pressed into the mold, creating the final skateboard form.

The pellets are mixed with glue, and then press-molded into a skateboard.

The end result; a form of transportation that is fun, practical, safe and devoid of any pretentiousness. A skateboard that allows tires to keep on traveling, a skateboard to run around town with. Frammento seems like a fun and not to mention an eco-friendly alternative to our usual skateboards, a product I’m sure all skateboarding enthusiasts would love to get their hands on!