Treadsmith Board Co - hand-crafted, hand-painted, environmentally supportive, and customized snowboards

Treadsmith Board Co is a US-based independent company making hand-forged snowboards with timeless design appeal for riders of any age, gender, race, religion or nationality. Their boards are not mass-produced but rather they are built one at a time only after being ordered. Treadsmith snowboards are hand-crafted, hand-painted, environmentally supportive, customized to spec for our riders, and built to last for years.

They try to use materials from sustainable local sources and their boards are made using hand tools so less energy is consumed.  Their wood veneer and wood cores come from suppliers who are FSC certified. All of the waste within the construction of the boards is recycled and the bases are finished by hand with a final coat of Magic Potion (Eco Friendly Wax). They also support One Percent for the Planet. 

Check out their boards at www.treadsmith.com!

The House of Marley - delivering premium quality, eco-conscious audio products

The House of Marley, delivers premium quality, eco-conscious products that embody Bob Marley's and the Marley family's values of equality, unity, authenticity, sustainability and charity.  Their use of FSC certified wood, recycled aluminum,  and recycled packaging materials coupled with proceeds going to non profits make this company my favorite headphone company out there.

MARLEY is comprised of three collections — Jammin', Freedom, and Destiny — and features passive noise canceling in-ear headphones, over-ear headphones, docking stations, speakers and boom boxes.  

A portion of proceeds from The House of Marley will benefit 1Love.org. The epicenter of a global movement, 1Love.org is dedicated to spreading Bob Marley's message of unity and peace by lifting up a new generation of "young gongs" to strike the hammer for charities, causes and ideas that can change the world.  Learn more at www.thehouseofmarley.com, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheHouseofMarley and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/houseofmarley.

Visit the Marley Family's primary website at www.BobMarley.com and join the Official Bob Marley Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/BobMarley.  Learn more about other Marley Family ventures by visiting Marley's Mellow Mood 100% natural relaxation teas and sodas at www.MarleysMellowMood.com, Marley Coffee at www.MarleyCoffee.com,and 1Love.org at www.1love.org.

Smith Evolve Sunglasses - Bio-based material

Spring shredding is here which means you don't have to rock goggles all the time! Before you start hot lapping the park throw on a pair of Smith shades from their Evolve series. Smith Evolve Sunglasses frames are made with a new material called Rilsan® Clear, a bio-renewable sourced polymer derived from castor oil. They feature a logo plaque finished with a clear water-based protective coating and ship with a coconut fiber storage bag and FSC certified packaging. Evolve Sunglasses are designed with and for a clearer environmental conscience. The Lockwood model is shown above.

Check out the line at smithoptics.com.

FSC - Forest Stewardship Council Explained

A few companies are using FSC certified wood cores in their boards. What is FSC? FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. As a multi-stakeholder organization, FSC applies the directive of its membership to develop forest management and chain of custody standards, deliver trademark assurance and provide accreditation services to a global network of committed businesses, organizations and communities.

FSC certification provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value.


So when you purchase a board with a FSC certified core you are supporting high social and environmental standards. 

For more info on why you should care about FSC wood check out TreeHugger's article - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/why-you-should-buy-fsc-wood.php

Smith I/OS Evolve Google

Smith's I/OS Evolve Goggle is made with a bio-based material and recycled re-ground urethane. Utilizing recycled material from other companies, Smith reduced their dependency on virgin urethane. As the next step in Smith's Evolve program, they have integrated Merquinsa's Pearlthane ECO bio-TPU into their goggle line wherever possible. This material is composed of 40% bio-based material, derived from plant-based oils. To top it off the Evolve packaging has been minimized and made from recycled and recyclable post-consumer products and uses vegetable based inks. All of the Evolve packaging is FSC certified. The I/OS is 1 of 5 goggles in the Evolve series.

www.smithoptics.com

New Website and Survey Look Behind-the-Scenes at Ecolabels’ Environmental Claims

Ecolabelindex.com allows consumers and companies to compare green certifications side-by-side.

As consumers and companies become increasingly aware of their environmental impact, a surge of ecolabels have flooded the marketplace. Today, hundreds of ecolabels worldwide compete to tell us which products are best for the planet. These colorful stamps on labels declare products to be “carbon neutral”, “forest safe”, “fairly traded”, or any number of standards of sustainability. But in the self-regulated ecocertification industry, how can consumers and institutional buyers really know what these stamps of approval mean?

The 2010 Global Ecolabel Monitor

Enter the 2010 Global Ecolabel Monitor – a collaboration between the World Resources Institute andecolabelling.org founders Big Room Inc. that gives a behind-the-scenes look at how different ecolabels certify their products. We invited 340 ecolabels in 42 countries to participate in a survey of their performance, organizational structure, and verification systems. The results are housed atecolabelindex.com, a web resource that gathers ecolabels onto a common platform to make it easier for consumers and institutional buyers alike to interpret and compare them.

The survey covers questions such as how the ecolabels’ rules were created and how they are funded. It also asks how the ecolabel is enforced, for example via site visits, audits, and/or third party verification.

Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Green Certification

The Global Ecolabel Monitor illustrates that there is clearly scope for improvement in ecolabel transparency and accountability. Over half of the ecolabels we invited to participate were unreachable or unwilling to share information about the metrics underlying their certification. Additionally, less than 30% of the ecolabels surveyed recognized, or were recognized by, any of their fellow labeling organizations, making it impossible to know for certain if one ecolabel’s interpretation of “green” would pass muster with their peers.

More than a third of US consumers say they are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. But ecolabels, like nutritional labels on food, are only helpful when they are clear, transparent, and consistent from product to product. Imagine if one cereal box only had calories listed and another had only protein content; and both measured their nutritional content in different ways. How would you make an informed decision about which box was healthier?

From environmentally-conscious individuals shopping for themselves and their families, to institutional buyers stocking the shelves of multi-billion dollar retailers, purchasers of all sizes need transparent, concise comparisons to decode the ecolabels on the products they are choosing between. Improving transparency in the ecolabel marketplace is an important first step to reduce consumer confusion and increase credibility. Ecolabelindex.com will continue updating and tracking the developments of ecolabels, making it easier for consumers and companies to identify and select the ecolabels that are credibly, transparent and effective.

Story by Jeff Rodgers - World Resources Institue

Jones Snowboards on Natural Evolution, Sustainable Materials & Social Responsibility

Natural Evolution

Without winter, without snow, Jones Snowboards would not exist. We are well aware of our impact on the environment and are dedicated to minimizing it in whatever ways we can through our products and business practices. Continuously researching and testing new, sustainable materials is an important part of Jones Snowboards and wherever possible we encompass them in our designs. It is a quickly evolving field and one we intend to be at the forefront of forever.

Base Line Materials

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood cores - Select wood that comes from forests managed in ways that will ensure their protection.

Linseed fiber and Basalt - Eliminating toxic fiberglass and resins

Recycled base materials - Flipflop base technique, eliminates up to 50% of waste from traditional base die-cuts

Sustainable side walls - Made out of sustainable wood reducing waste

Paper topsheets - Eliminating 1 pound of plastic per board

Protect Our Winters

POW was formed in 2007 by Professional Snowboarder, Jeremy Jones to unite the winter sports community and focus their collective efforts towards initiatives that will directly impact climate change.

1% for the Planet

Since 2002, 1% for the Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to environmental groups around the world. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise.

www.jonessnowboards.com