This month Deltron, Inc. announced that its Elasco Inc. manufacturing subsidiary has taken skateboarding in a new – and greener – direction. This latest move has enabled Sector 9, a manufacturer of skateboards and apparel, to offer eco-friendly skateboard wheels. Sector 9 has become one of the market leaders in design and manufacture of skate long boards, which is a fast-growing segment in the skateboard market. And now the company’s boards with have organic-based wheels to let them do the rolling. The new Elasco wheels are actually made with a soybean-based polyols.
“Founded in 1993, Sector 9 has a long and distinguished history of leadership in the boardsports industry,” said Deltron CEO Henry Larrucea. “The Sector 9 team has demonstrated a strong commitment to the environment, providing sustainable products as well as offering information on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption in its corporate materials. When Elasco developed proprietary formulations to produce polyurethane wheels using soybean polyols, Sector 9 seized the opportunity to be the first skateboard company to offer more sustainable wheels. Increasing sales this year show that the ‘green’ wheels have strong appeal for environmentally conscious customers including surfers, skateboarders and the broader youth market.”
The new Biothane Soy Compound Skateboard Wheels produced by Elasco for Sector 9 require riders to make no sacrifice by going green. What makes these wheels stands apart is that Elasco has essentially created a soy-based wheel that match the performance of traditional petroleum-based polyurethane wheels. Designed with strength and stability in mind, these wheels should be as quick-turning and maneuverable as other wheels of the same size. The technology involves combining polyols produced from pressed soybeans with isocyanate and other ingredients to create entirely new – but extremely strong – polymers. And unlike traditional wheels, which are made from petrochemicals, these resin wheels reduce related carbon emissions during the manufacturing process by up to 36 percent, and are furthermore made by a sustainable resource.
According to Elasco the wheels also require less energy to produce, and are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and should reduce the demand for and reliance on non-renewable petroleum. So not only is riding a skateboard potentially better for the environment, now the wheels will leave less of a carbon footprint as well.