Three friends from America (Ben, David, and Kevin) took a dream idea they had and turned it into a successful company that takes old fishing nets and turns them into skateboards. They shared a passion for the environment and the sea. So, they started researching and speaking with experts about the different types of ocean pollutants. What they ended up finding was that fishing nets are a huge problem when it comes to ocean pollution, but they are highly recyclable. This is when they came up with the concept of Skateboards for Plastic-Free Oceans.
The company name is Bureo which to native Chilean people means ‘the waves’. The Bureo team now consists of 4: Ben Kneppers, Gabriella Kneppers, David Stover, and Kevin Ahearn. They started based out of Santiago, Chile which is a city that is close enough to the coast where they can do everything from collecting the nets to repurposing the plastic pellets into a board. They are then shipped, assembled and distributed from Ventura, California.
After two successful Kickstarter campaigns, they were able to turn what was once a dream into a reality. They got noticed by clothing and gear maker Patagonia in 2014. Patagonia has a strong interest in the environment and a passion for helping the planet. They invested in Bureo through the $20 Million & Change Fund (Now renamed Tin Shed Ventures) which has a focus on environmentally conscious brands.
Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario said: “Bureo is not your typical startup — they’ve invented an incredible recycling program by rallying the fishing industry in Chile to turn plastic ocean waste into a great product.”
After the fishing nets are collected, they are cleaned, shredded and turned into pellets that are then molded into skateboards. “You can make anything out of it then through an injection-mold process,” says Stover. “It’s like new.”
Since starting, the company has collected 80 tons of nets. For every 3 meters squared or 30 square feet, they can make one skateboard. Comparing that to traditional methods to make a skateboard this helps reduce greenhouse gases by up to 70%. For the wheels, they use 30% vegetable oil and have a 100% recycled mechanism. The boards have a price range of $130-$200.
The company has enjoyed much success from just a concept idea and have plans for further expansion. They have signed an agreement with Carver skateboards to help produce the skateboards on a large scale and have plans to make surfboard fins from the recycled nets, along with sunglasses that you can purchase on their website. Bureo currently has plenty of materials as David Stover explains: “Right now, we have so many fishing nets we don’t know what to do with them all. If the raw material ends up in short supply, we will have achieved our goal.”
Stover goes on to say that the company’s association with Patagonia has made all the difference. In 2014 they were selling boards out of 2 stores, now they are in over 105 stores around the world, many of which are Patagonia stores.
Aside from all the good Bureo has done for the environment through collecting and recycling fishing nets. They also give money to a local nonprofit called Fundacion El Arbol, which works with the local communities on different environmental projects.
