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10 QUESTIONS: RESURF
Eco-Warrior Joey Santley talks about surfers, surfboards, and saving the planet
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VIEWS:9598
COMMENTS:19
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By:
Steve Zeldin
All Images: Joey Santley
August 8, 2008
Many surfers, like everyone else on the planet, are trying to go green.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -- we've heard it before, but here's a pertinent new way to lessen the environmental impact we as surfers leave in our wake. Check out what Mr. Joey Santley of ReSurf has to say about this topic.
It's a global plan/portal developed to recycle both broken surfboards and wastes from manufacturing into new usable products. We will be paving roads with the waste and making things like concrete roof tiles. HOW DOES THE RESURF PLAN WORK? It's fairly simple. You break your board and you decide it is trash. In your own personal effort to "Go Green", you go to your nearest surf shop or surfboard manufacturer and drop-off the broken pieces. The surf shop/manufacturer will contact ReSurf.org and request a pickup either by phone or via the ReSurf.org website. |
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The ReSurf.org delivery truck -- fueled by Biodiesel and wrapped in sponsor logos -- picks up the broken surfboards, as well as the considerable amount of shaping dust material from shaping rooms. ReSurf.org delivery truck then takes material to a recycling center where it is ground to dust. The resulting dust from the pulverized surfboards and shaping wastes gets transported to recipient manufacturers for re-introduction into the manufacturing processes of new products. WHO STARTED RESURF? Myself, Steve Cox, and Ron Pringle. Matt Biolos of ...Lost Surfboards was the first to recognize the merits of what we've been doing, jumped on board, and has since played an integral part. WHY DO YOU CARE, AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START THIS? I spent a good part of my life in surfboard factories, always mindful of the amount of waste that gets thrown into landfills. Then, one day, Steve and I had a conversation and, while we were talking, Jack Johnson's song "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" came on and it hit us. Once the idea formulated, we had to do it. We're surfers that care about our environment and we feel it is our duty. ARE THERE SHOPS SUPPORTING RESURF.ORG AND PARTICIPATING AS DROP OFF SITES? Yes. Killer Dana, ...Lost Surfboards, Catalyst, Laguna Surf & Sport, Venice Originals. We are hoping to have every single surf shop and factory participating. HOW DOES A SHOP OR FACTORY GET INVOLVED? Go to Resurf.org and click on the "Become a ReSurf drop-off site" tab. After a quick and easy sign-up, ReSurf.org sends out an official "ReSurf Drop" sticker to display in the window. When enough broken boards or manufacturing waste builds up to warrant a pick-up, the shop manager goes to the ReSurf.org web site and clicks on the "Pick-up" button, or dials a Toll Free number for pick-up. WHAT AREA DOES RESURF.ORG SERVICE? Currently we are starting out on a regional scale, servicing Southern California coastal communities from LA to the Mexican border. Once the idea formulated, we had to do it. We're surfers that care about our environment and we feel it is our duty.
Joey Santley, co-founder of ReSurf.org
YOU MENTIONED THAT SPONSORS WILL FOOT THE BILL? HOW DOES BRAND X GET TO SPONSOR RESURF AND BE PART OF THIS GREAT INITIATIVE? Just contact us directly on the web site, or call us. We'll be happy to tailor a package to fit your needs. We just need your support so that we can make it an everyday thing. BIODIESEL TRUCKS TOO? Yeah, it's pretty cool. We are hooking up with some great sources to get vehicles switched over to run on Griesel -- a cheaper, cleaner alternative to buying gas from Chevron. We will have info contacts and links about this on our site as well. We want to get the word out because we feel that if enough of us go in this direction, we might get to a better place sooner than later. WHERE DOES IT GO FROM HERE? The Resurf.org web site is built for global growth, so we will see if other geographical areas pick up the model and participate. It will be easy for other chapters to get going. We have done the research and can set it up anywhere. We also hope to help get more surfer's cars and trucks switched over to Griesel -- an alternative fuel that is cheap compared to gas and, far more importantly, leaves a much smaller carbon footprint. Something we all need to be concerned about. For more, check out Resurf.org Comments: (19) Add Your Comment
jamesaromero 08/12/2008 09:47 AM
I know of a company that has advanced reclamation techniques combined with a proprietary process to reclaim fiberglass waste products, obsolete fiberglass molded products and outdated or excess fiberglass resins. Someone from SIMA in Florida should give them a call... http://americanfibergreenproducts.com/amourfiber.asp
Eric Schultz 08/10/2008 08:53 AM
Picking up shapers' waste I see, there is a lot of it produced at a central location, but all this trouble to recycle individual surfboards--I wonder if the effort might use more fuel (even biofuel) than it is worth. Also you have to think of it in terms of the opportunity costs for everyone involved. I applaud the ambition though. Setting up drop-boxes at some surf spot parking lots might help rationalize the individual board part of this effort.
Doug Henderson 08/10/2008 07:05 AM
Neglect your body and it will fail you. Neglect your planet and it too will fail you. It just takes longer to undo billions of years of evolution. As humans we need to stay 100% comitted to cleaning up the terrible mess we have made. Stop trying to derail the GREEN TRAIN and get the F*** on! The planet and ALL of its inhabitants desperately needs help. DUH!
REfromCastaic 08/10/2008 06:25 AM
We should be good stewards of the earth God gave us. So I'm for it. But don't tell me about global warming because that is a farce. Respect Ed Begley Jr. and shun Al Gore the hypocrite. Now, I am all for better recycling in our sport and agree with a lot of the comments so far. Yes, the earth will take care of itself, but don't be a moron because of that belief. No, there is no global warming, so quit telling me that is why I need to change. Be better stewards and it will be best for all.
Junior 08/10/2008 05:48 AM
To anonymous... Have you seen/read the mags or see Fuel's commercial on Dave Rastovich? He managed to get Billabong to use recycled plastics and make boardshorts. Sooner or later the other companies will be doing the same thing. Um... the jet fuel statement... Jet Fuel is super expensive. I don't know if they're thinking of using alternative fuel such Hydrogen fuel (see chevy) but it a good idea. As for the recycled broken boards... It's a good start and sooner or later it'll get bigger.
Moe Black 08/10/2008 03:30 AM
The boards we ride, the wetsuits we wear, the accessories we use all involve toxic materials and other eco-impacts from manufacturing and transport. We drive ourselves and boards (~200 lbs) around in petroleum fueled cars (~2-3000 lbs). We surfers aren't as green as we wish we were. This is a good start on changing that. Even if the reuse science isn't perfect yet if this does become a movement it will be...
rootsman 08/09/2008 10:40 PM
this is the coolest thing ever - this could keep the euivilent of 200 hundred surf blanks per day minimum from going into to our earth andlandfills here in so. cal alone !! You have to be Retardo Monteblan to think that this would be not a good thing ---- save the earth - live green !! LONG LIVE ReSurf.org - Aloha
Fish <*//>< 08/09/2008 09:10 PM
Get rid of longboards and save one half of the chemicalS and 2/3 of the riders!
ONLY SURF YOUR LOCAL BREAK!
Concentate on stuff that matters- ONE GALLON OF GAS TO GO 15 MILES...
buying stuff with cheap labor from China, etc...that is heavy polluting, abuses peoples rights. and uses a ton of fuel to get here....and we just look the other way.
beetlejuice 08/09/2008 06:15 PM
As George Carlin said,"the planet can take care of itself.It was here before us and will be here after us,who do we think we are?!"
DFein 08/09/2008 04:58 PM
This conversation is ridiculous. How can you say that reusing material instead of putting it in a landfill is a bad idea, regardless of your feelings on the theory of global warming.
Hank 08/09/2008 04:49 PM
Green is killing our economy? Not green is killing our planet! Fool!
Green is killing our ECOnomy 08/09/2008 02:38 PM
It's all BS and a huge fraud. It's just another scare tactic to capitalize on this new religion. It too will pass and you all will pretend you were not apart of it.
Remember the 70's ice age scare...anyone???
Bill 08/09/2008 12:48 PM
How much gas will I burn driving out of my way to recycle 1 surfboard?
anonymous 08/09/2008 10:52 AM
are any pro surfers helping out the planet? they go through tons of boards in a year, not to mention the thousands of gallons of jet fuel they use travelling the globe and they always seem to be wearing new gear?they have a pretty big carbon footprint if you think about it, i love pro surfing and contests but just brought this up for discussion.
GreenGiant 08/09/2008 10:16 AM
At least they're trying to do something positive & it does mean less surfboard refuse filling up landfills where it will NEVER biodegrade. Also it usually requires less energy to recycle elements than it does to create new ones from scratch. The world went a little crazy from the indutrial revolution up until now - manufacturing way more crap than we actually need. Now it's time to start re-using some of that material in a different way rather than just throwing it in the trash.
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