It’s not a new story in the snowboarding world – boards get worn out, damaged, and eventually find their way to the landfill. But what if there’s a way to reverse this?
Jones Snowboards thought about this problem and came up with a creative solution: Re-Up Tech. It’s a technology that gives dead, broken, or defective snowboards a second chance by recycling and upcycling the materials to create new boards.
The Green Drive Behind Re-Up Tech
The snowboarding industry has been booming for decades, and with over a million snowboards produced each year since 1995, the question looms: where do all these boards end up?
A significant number likely find their way to landfills, contributing to environmental degradation. Re-Up Tech challenges this reality, offering a greener alternative for the snowboarding community.
Jones Snowboards didn’t just wake up one day and decide to recycle old snowboards. It was a conscious effort to reduce waste and minimize the carbon footprint of snowboard production.
Jones understood that every board that ends up in a landfill contributes to the carbon footprint. This realization led them to investigate how they could recycle snowboards, and the result was the innovative Re-Up Tech.
The Re-Up Process: A Closer Look
Here’s how the recycling happens in four steps:
Bringing Back the Boards
The mission begins by collecting warranty-returned and retired boards from riders and shops worldwide.
These old boards, along with a few factory misfits from Jones, set sail back to the factory, making the journey with a small carbon footprint.
Getting Boards Ready
Once they reach the factory, it’s spa time for the boards. They get a good sanding to shake off any dirt, wax, or sticky stuff.
Then, it’s time to mechanically remove the steel edges and inserts, which are taken out and saved for another recycling journey.
Making a Mega Board Sandwich
Now, six cleaned-up boards are stacked up together, glued, and pressed to form a giant 24-layer sandwich of snowboard goodness.
This big sandwich is then sliced into thin pieces, each carrying a bit of the old boards, all set to slide into the new ones.
Slide into the New
The thin slices from the old boards are snugly fit into new wood cores, replacing the usual stringer material.
Positioned at a 90-degree angle, these slices add some extra strength and smoothness to the new boards.
Despite coming from different boards with varied features, these slices perform amazingly well. Whether a slice comes from a board with a faster base and carbon stringers or not, its performance remains optimal.
The slices are used in specific areas for adding dampness and stiffness, while the rest of the wood core stays true to the traditional style, crafted from virgin wood.
Re-Up Tech also does away with carbon stringers to reduce the environmental footprint while also stepping up the board’s capabilities. Re-Up stringers absorb the shakes and hold up better against twisting.
How to return old boards
Jones provides two hassle-free ways to return an old board to them. First off, you can send the board directly back to them through their website.
When you do, a $50 or 50€ discount is yours for grabbing on your next Jones board purchase. If you’re in the continental U.S. or certain European areas, Jones will cover the shipping fees with a pre-paid shipping label.
Alternatively, you can drop off your board at one of Jones’ collection partner spots. Some dealers may have a sweetener on offer. Jones is on the move to broaden their collection site network both in the U.S. and Europe.
Re-Up Tech Debuts in Hovercraft 2.0
For the snow season of 2023-24, Jones is rolling out the fresh Hovercraft 2.0 snowboard, the only board rocking the Re-Up Tech.
They have plans to weave this tech into more models down the line – provided they have enough old boards to recycle.
Right now, Re-Up Tech is a cool thing only Jones boards have. But once they sort out the whole recycling chain for snowboards, they’re open to sharing this tech with other brands too.
To keep every worn-out snowboard from ending up as trash, they’re counting on the backing of all riders and brands out there.
Re-Up Tech is a big win for Jones, staying true to their vibe of blending performance, earth-friendliness, and innovation in their gear.
We’re stoked about the good vibes this tech could spread across the ski and snowboard world as they keep pushing it forward.