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RSS/XMLThese boots are made for shreddin' - are they supposed to make my feet green?
2008-06-13 15:31:54
In recent months, I've written about green snowboards, and green wax, but what may quite possibly be the most important piece of snowboard equipment has been overlooked: boots. So this week, I'm going to explore some ideas on how to get green feet. Not the kind of green feet that hold up the incredible Hulk and stomp bad guys mind you, but the kind that strap into snowboard bindings and stomp landings. The principle is the same as long as it's done heroically.
No you're not colour blind, one of these boots is green.
Some of you may wonder how it could be that snowboard boots are not environmentally friendly. After all, they don't have wood cores as snowboards do. The truth is that snowboard boots are often made from non earth-friendly construction materials; Neoprene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to name a few.
Neoprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. The advantage of this material is that it provides excellent insulation from the cold. Its biggest disadvantage is that it is a petroleum based, toxic, and non-biodegradable product.
PVC is even worse, from an environmental stand-point, than Neoprene. It is a petroleum-based product as well but its production also involves the use of toxic metals such as lead and cadmium which are added as plasticizers and stabilizers. Chemicals used in the production of PVC have also been found to be prone to leaching. One such chemical, DEHP, has even been designated a “probable carcinogen” by the EPA. On top of all that, PVC cannot be recycled because so many different additives are used in its production, and the inclusion of PVC in the recycling stream can contaminate and ruin a load of otherwise recyclable plastics. In fact, most European countries have banned the use of PVC altogether. That's a lot of evil from one plastic.
What's being done
Boot manufacturers that are stepping up to the plate include ThirtyTwo and Celsius. ThirtyTwo strive to make the most eco-friendly boots on the market. They've eliminated PVC, and also claim to use natural and recycled materials for their boot construction (unfortunately I don't have any information on what those natural materials might be). Their parent company, Sole Technology, have also launched a sustainable footwear and apparel collection called the Etnies SEED Project. Although Etnies sneakers are not great for snowboarding, they'll make your feet a little greener on the way to the mountain.
In addition to using more sustainable construction materials in their boots, ThirtyTwo is also making its manufacturing process a little greener. Sole Tech have committed to the installation of 616 solar panels on their headquarters, all of their packaging is 100 percent recyclable, they use 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper in their printers and photocopiers, and their employees use biodegradable utensils, plates, bowls and cups (although I don't understand why they wouldn't use re-usable ones).
Not to be outdone, Celsius will soon be featuring more environmentally friendly and natural materials, such as hemp, in their boots. They are also reducing material waste during manufacturing and cutting back on the use of chemicals in the production process. This makes their boots greener all the way from their production to your feet.
Among non-boot specific manufacturers, the folks at Head are really setting themselves apart. They have partnered with Cool Earth to offset 10 times their annual carbon emissions with avoided deforestation credits. They say this effort is saving 7,030 acres per year of mature rainforest from destruction. That's equivalent to over 1,800,000 tons of CO2. Even though it may seem odd to want to wear Head products on your feet, it just might make you breath easier.
What else can be done?
The steps being taken by the afore mentioned companies are a good start, but more can, and should, be done. The surfing industry has been experimenting with limestone-based neoprene as an alternative to traditional Neoprene. Three major manufacturers have embraced it: Patagonia, Matuse, and Body Glove. By manufacturing wetsuits using limestone-based neoprene for the rubber parts, not only are they not using petroleum-based materials, but are doing so with the promise of warmer, stretchier, longer lasting suits. Doesn't the thought of warmer snowboard boots with longer lifespans sound like a good idea? Let's see some limestone-based neoprene for the rubber parts of our boots (you heard it here first).
So the next time you're shopping for a new pair of snowboard boots to get radical in, consider being radical in the original sense of the word by greening up your footwear. This way you can feel confident that the green is spreading faster when your wearing your boots than the odour when you've taken them off.
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