Skateboards as a Sustainable Recyclable Material

Abstract

Abstract:The exact number of skateboards manufactured every year is unknown, but it is estimated to be in the millions. Most skateboard decks are made from a high grade of maple (Acer spp.) veneer plywood and typically last only a few months before they break or deteriorate beyond use. Millions of used skateboard decks are discarded annually, ending up in landfills when, instead, they could be recycled into new products. But beyond artistic or aesthetic purposes, material properties of the used skateboard decks are unknown. The objective of this paper is to investigate the material properties of wooden composite panels created by reengineering the skateboard deck material. These aesthetically pleasing wooden panels may be a sustainable recycled product. This paper presents a method of analyzing material properties and structural aspects of used skateboard deck material. Tests were developed to measure the stiffness and strength in bending, moisture content, specific gravity, moisture durability, and species identification. The results show that this process of reengineering skateboard decks makes for a strong wood product and may be useful to those interested in developing new products from recycled materials.

Analysis to Improve the Strength of Beds Due to the Excess Weight of Users in Slovakia

“…Slats made from laminated wood are attached to the frame separately by means of synthetic slat suspension. Extensive space for further experimental research in furniture design is offered using wood composite materials [58][59][60]. The ergonomic design of sleep systems (i.e., the mattress, bed base and head cushion) aims to optimize bed properties to achieve maximum recovery during sleep.…”

“…research in furniture design is offered using wood composite materials [59][60][61]. The ergonomic design of sleep systems (i.e., the mattress, bed base and head cushion) aims to optimize bed properties to achieve maximum recovery during sleep.…”

Wood in Sport Equipment - Heritage, Present, Perspective

“…Decks made of wood are manufactured with veneers, two for both faces of the deck (top and bottom), and the remaining for the core of the skate. Clearly, veneers that constitute the bottom and the top of the skateboard deck are important in terms of aesthetic appearance (Willard and Loferski 2018).…”

“…Last but not least, from a circular economy perspective the wooden components of skateboards that have been damaged or are at the end of their life cycle are well-suited for cascading usage and could be recycled for manufacturing new plywood products (Willard and Loferski 2018).…”

Addendum: Willard, D.T. and Loferski, J.R. Skateboards as a Sustainable Recyclable Material. Recycling 2018, 3, 20

“…The authors would like to add the following statement to the published article [1]. The Acknowledgements of the original paper would be updated to the following version:…”