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Life cycle optimization
When designing a product with the goal of eco-efficiency, the whole life cycle of a product needs to be taken into consideration (figure 4).
The selection of materials
and their origin, the production process, the disposal of garbage from the production, the use of energy, transportation to the customer, and the end-of-life solution, what happens
when the ski gets replaced, all are part of the ski life cycle and need to be assessed.
Together with the Swiss based non-profit organization myclimate we did a life cycle
analysis (LCA) of our skis, and of the company as such. To our knowledge this is the first LCA of a ski, and it clearly shows the distribution of the life cycle steps and their shares on CO2 equivalents (figure 5). Materials make up for 30% of CO2eq emissions, the production about 60%, half of it comes from the ski press.
Research & Development: First steps are to implement a continuous R&D process, starting with research on materials, processes and technology, in order to find
the best available sustainable solution as a balance of technical, economical, and ecological aspects. We decided to introduce an alternative fibre with a lower GWP. We implement virtual optimization and simulation technology to develop skis almost without building and testing prototypes, thus using fewer materials, less energy and producing less waste.
Design: Consuming less but better requires a ski that has a timeless design, independent from fashions in graphics, prints or such a like, and fashion changes
are nor reason to buy a new ski. Grown skis simply use a wooden veneer as the top sheet, with the logo burnt into the wood. From the backside, the lower veneer sheet is visible through the semi-transparent base, and a through a window in the veneer the basalt fibres are visible.
It requires to be of high quality for a long time performance. We are using high class materials in a sandwich construction, and
developed an optimized wood core for a long lasting flex and agility of the ski. Furthermore it requires allmountain dimensions, to have one ski that skis it all, and
that is capable of being your only quiver.
Materials: We achieve a 60% lower GWP than a conventional ski of comparable quality, simply by saving on materials while optimizing the remaining ones.
We minimze non-natural materials with high embodied primary energy, and do not use ABS side walls, printed ABS/TPU top sheets, aluminum sheets and such alike.
Instead, we use an optimized wood core from ash and fir, that is light but durable; we waterproof the ash wood side walls with a biological boat varnish, based on
natural colophonium. We exchange conventional glas, kevlar or carbon fibres with environmentally more friendly basalt fibres, made from crushed volcanic rock,
without any additives. The ski base is a semi-transparent recycled polyethylene (PE).
Production: The production is local, with short transportation distances between suppliers, production facility and distribution office. The optimized use of machines
and the efficient use of water and energy, as well as the re-usage and recycling of materials and rests to minimize garbage, and finally the correct disposal of remaining garbage during the production process are all part of our strategy.
Delivery/distribution: We sell our skis online, and ship with a climate compensated delivery service. In the future, selected partners in ski areas committed
to sustainable management might be able to sell Grown skis to peolple with in that destination. Packaging is another issue for delivery; we solemly use recycled cardboar
for protection and excluded plastic from shipment.
Product usage: The product makes up for the lowest environmental impact in the life cycle of a ski. The usage actually is the main source with a much higher GWP and
other negative impacts on the environment. A pair of Grown skis emits a CO2 equivalent of 27,8kg from production to end of life. This does not include the usage,
because each
skier uses a ski differently, and it is the responsibility of each consumer to lower the own additional environmental impact, by travelling less and using public transport
or car sharing, by selecting hotels that are more eco efficient, and by skiing when natural weather and snow conditions permit. Figure 6 shows a comparison of the total amount
of CO2 equivalents from the LCA of a pair of Grown skis with one drive to a ski area of 600km (300km one way), with a medium-sized car and an
average consumption of 8l diesel/100km. The ratio is 1:6 - just the car drive produces six times more CO2 than the whole life of the ski as such, which indicates the importance of the usage phase and consumer behavior in the whole life cycle.
End of life option: At some point the ski will reach its end of life as a ski. We take the ski back because to us it is a valuable resource that can be used
as structural parts in furniture. For example, we can use old skis to build mattress supports in bed frames, that require a high flex and stability. We offer the customer an
incentive to send back skis that are no longer in use, and thus give the ski a second life.
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Figure 4: The life cycle of a Grown ski (click figure to enlarge). |
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Figure 5: Distribution of the life cycle steps and their shares on total GWP CO2eq (click figure to enlarge). |
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Figure 6: Comparison of total amount CO2eq of a pair of Grown skis with one drive to a ski area of 600km (300km one way, medium-sized car, average consumption of 8l diesel/100km. Click figure to enlarge). |
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