Starboard Launches New Eco Collaboration

Starboard continues its drive towards eco-responsibility by launching an initiative to transform discarded fishing nets into high-end paddleboard components. A move to contribute to cleaner oceans, litter-free beaches and jobs for local communities. 

It was announced by  Starboard and Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, that they are collecting and upcycling discarded fishing nets to create a material for consumer goods such as SUP components. In doing so the collaboration supports litter-free beaches, a healthier marine environment and creates a positive social impact for local communities in India.

Born out of a shared passion for a cleaner environment and a Circular Economy, DSM and Starboard came together when the paddleboard company selected DSM’s Akulon® RePurposed, where the resin used is fully recycled from discarded nylon-based fishing nets and is known for its sustainability profile as much as its performance.

The discarded fishing nets are gathered from the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea and are given a new lease of life as fins, fin boxes, SUP pumps, and other structural parts in surfboards. All the products made using Akulon RePurposed, are branded as NetPositive! by Starboard. The company Royal DSM is a purpose-led global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living. DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders.