Sustainable skateboard company Bureo is transforming ocean clogging fishnets into strong skateboard decks featuring a fish design and gripping scale pattern. Founded by a trio of surfer friends who want to make the ocean a better and cleaner place, the Bureo team figured out how to convert fishing nets into plastic pellets, which can then be molded into a skateboard deck. Each Bureo ‘Minnow’ skatedeck is made of recycled fishing net that has been gathered from the coast of Chile.
Last year, Bureo established ‘Net Positiva’ – Chile’s first fishnet cycling program. Net Positiva works with a local fishermen though a buy back programme. Net Positiva supplies fishermen with easy access to disposal sites for old nets and the funds help to offset the costs of new nets.
The Coastal Conservancy reports that there are around 64,000 tons of nets discarded in the world’s oceans, accounting for 10% of the ocean’s plastic pollution. Each board removed 30 square feet of nets from the ocean. Bureo co-founder Stover explains, ‘Right now, there’s more fishnet than anyone else knows what to do with. If supply becomes an issue, then we have accomplished something.’
You can find out more about this project here.