Starboard Achieves Gold Level Status Ecoboards!

15 Oct 2018

Starboard SUP the brand with 25 years of innovative board building and design has just reached Sustainable Surf’s Gold Level status for their Blue Carbon technology board range. Starboard ‘s Ollie O’Reilly takes TotalSUP through the new range made from balsa the natural sandwich material, and has a carbon footprint that is climate positive.

“Achieving this has been no small task, it required multiple audits of source materials, building facilities and processes, and for a brand as large as Starboard, commitment to helping the environment on a company-wide level” explained Ollie O’Reilly.

The eco innovations involved in reaching gold level include:

Natural end grain balsa replaces PVC foam on the full deck and bottom. “End Grain” Balsa is a natural sandwich structure that is lightweight with incredible sheer strength when compared to conventional petroleum PVC foam. The carbon footprint is actually climate positive, meaning it offsets more than it consumes to use it.

ECOBOARD Project Verified 33% Plant-based bio Resin is used to laminate the entire board.
Main Inserts switching to be made from up-cycled fishing nets sourced from India. Akulon ECO is produced by DSM, a leader in sustainability.
IQ centre carry handle is made from recycled ABS.
All traction pads will be made from post-industrial waste. Recycled EVA has a high UV resistance in some colours than virgin EVA, so the pads stay the same colour for longer. Using recycled EVA reduces the amount of petroleum used by 50%.
Natural Balsa wood is now at the core of all of Starboard’s composite fins, avoiding plastic while improving flex and reducing weight. Balsa core fins made with bio-resin are up to 31% lighter on certain fin sizes.
For every board made, Starboard plants one mangrove tree, absorbing 1 ton of CO2 over a 20 year lifespan.
All packaging for accessories is now made of cardboard, with the exception of the dust bag made out of recycled plastic

Starboard’s Blue Carbon technology makes them the 1st SUP Brand to mass-produce a Gold Level ECOBOARD SUP Gold Level is awarded for using sustainable materials, sourced from responsible supply chains, with improved manufacturing processes. Working closely with Sustainable Surf, Starboard developed several eco-conscious innovations from scrutinizing the materials used and how they build their boards.

“One of the most satisfying parts of my work is the challenge to redesign our products to lower the environmental impact and achieve higher performance. Sustainable Surf is setting the goal posts for the industry to not only fast track, but to showcase how quickly and easily it can be to change the way we build better boards for the planet” explained Ollie O’Reilly.

Brett Giddings from Sustainable Surf explained “The team at Sustainable Surf continue to be impressed and inspired by Starboard’s holistic commitment to sustainability and ocean-health. Our mission to protect and preserve ocean health starts with people and brands making better choices everyday – just like the ECOBOARD SUPs produced by Starboard, especially their new range of Gold Level models. We look forward to seeing the next round of eco-innovations from the team at Starboard.”

In addition, all board bags are made from up-cycled PET from plastic bottles. An average of 52 bottles makes 1 typical bag. And as an added benefit, Starboard has found most of these up-cycled materials outperform the original virgin materials

Starboard Achieves Gold Level Status Ecoboards!

Starboard’s Linus Karlsson back on the SUP racing circuit with ultra endurance win: 200 km in 41 hours

Fierce racing, gen clashes, community vibes & a finale in style – Planet Baltic SUP Race 2025 delivers it all

Lima vs. Velocity: How Starboard’s paddles compare

Fast, loose & ready to rip: The all-new Starboard TwinFin SUP surf board is here!

O2Y 2025 – Okinawa to Yoron race recap: Starboard’s Fabrizio Rondinara blends power & strategy at the Ryukyu Crossing

From the Ring to the River: Lim Sujeong Races at Home in the Seoul SUP Open

Paddle 5K for a Chance to Win Starboard’s New Gen R Race Board

Gran Canaria PRO: The Starting Point of Alba Frey’s SUP Career

The new Gen R has dropped: Check out what makes this all-condition race board the most advanced flat-deck yet from Starboard

Related Content