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18 October 2021
Sustainable packaging
Our connection to the ocean is what brings our community together. We all want clean, fresh oceans on which to do what we love. But studies show that plastic pollution is clogging up our estuaries and filling our beaches, destroying nature's playground, and harming marine life. Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Since the publication of the 2016 UNEP report on Marine Plastic Debris & Microplastics, there has been a significant increase in evidence of the harmful environmental effects of marine plastics, such as the smothering of coral reefs; the entanglement, starvation and drowning of birds, fish, and migratory species such as turtles and mammals; and the physiological and toxicological stress and starvation of plankton, shellfish, invertebrates, fish, seabirds, turtles and marine mammals. (United Nations Environment Assembly Meeting, November 2020). At North, we believe it’s our responsibility to find innovative solutions to help achieve the elimination and prevention of plastic waste and marine litter. By incorporating social and environmentally responsible practices into our business and increasing our use of recycled materials in our products, we aim to reduce the impact of production on people and the environment. Reducing Plastic Packaging Our goal is to completely remove industry-standard materials like plastic from our packaging. We’ve removed bubble wrap, polystyrene and a significant amount plastic from our packaging, replacing it with paper, cardboard and innovative manufacturing techniques to produce packaging with suitable protection. Die-Cutting Our TwinTip accessory kits are packaged using a layered cardboard packaging to prevent parts from rattling around inside the box. Layers of card are precision cut through a technique known as die-cutting, which cuts 2D images out of flat materials. This ever-evolving technique was originally designed during the industrial revolution for shoe making, and has since been brought into the 21st century, allowing companies like ourselves to choose sustainable materials for custom packaging. Each item fits snuggly in its individual box, individually cushioned to protect it from damage. Honeycomb For our Surfboard packaging, we’ve chosen a unique cushioning material that mimics honeycomb. It’s a paper that is strategically bound to allow the card to stretch into many different hexagons. This flexible material can form around many different shapes and sizes creating a lightweight protective layer of ‘honeycomb’ mesh. The mesh behaves like a spring to absorb impact and protect your product from abrasion. Conventional cardboard box packaging is very rigid and offers little cushioning or support around large, curved items like our surfboards. As a solution, the space between a product and its box is often filled with packing peanuts, polystyrene, bubble wrap and other single-use plastic materials to create a layer of protection. Many of these materials, like polystyrene, cannot be recycled and contribute to the plastic waste that ends up in our oceans and landfills. Each project we work on inspires the next. Read more about our Go Green philosophy here
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09 September 2021
Environmentally Conscious Materials
At North we support the fundamental movement towards sustainable production and consumption, reducing the plastic in our oceans and promoting a cleaner future. Our goal is to increase our use of recycled materials in all products. One of the ways we have done this is by using recycled fabric for our kite and wing bags. The fabric used is certified to the Global Recycling Standard (GRS), an international, voluntary, full product standard that helps to ensure businesses like ours are moving towards a cleaner future. The GRS verifies recycled materials, ensures social and environmentally responsible production, and eliminates the use of chemicals with potential for harm. The GRS standard is run by Textile Exchange. Every North Kite and Wing Bag is made from an average 33 recycled PET Plastic bottles. The manufacturing process takes PET Plastic bottles from the recycling and shreds them into tiny pieces. These pieces are then heated and fed through an extruding machine to create long fibers. Next the fibers are torn apart until they resemble a material similar to wool, ready to be dyed. In the final stage the fibers are spun into yarn, ready to be woven into fabric. This process is also used to manufacture the recycled fabric in our Accessories range for the ‘Rescued and Renewed’ FlexFit hats. View our Recycled Compass Cap Rescued and Renewed. FlexFit is a manufacturing company that has responded to the need for sustainable products, and supports companies like North in our journey to be more innovative and environmentally responsible. We’ve teamed up with FlexFit to include the ‘Rescued and Renewed’ Collection in our accessories range. Why is using recycled material important? If single-use plastic is recycled, it is less likely to end up in our oceans. The more companies that can incorporate recycled plastic into their production, the more of a demand there will be for the material, resulting in increased incentive to collect and recycle single use plastics. Creating more of an incentive for recycling helps save the oceans we play in from devastating pollution. #BBD0E0 »
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18 January 2021
Taking care of the soil and the tiny critters
Every North T-shirt and Sweat is made from 100% Organic cotton, grown on farms without the use of any toxic and persistent pesticides or fertilizers. Using organic cotton to replace synthetic materials in our apparel range helps us to minimize our effect on Mother Nature. Organic cotton farms start by looking after the world beneath our feet - taking care of the soil and the tiny critters that help keep the earth healthy. Both organic and inorganic cotton use equal amounts of water yet organic cotton does not leave the water full of harmful toxins. “Conventional production practices for cotton involve the application of substantial fertilizers and pesticides. Pesticides threaten the quality of soil and water, as well as the health of biodiversity in and downstream from the fields” - WWF. When farmers look after their soil and use more environmentally friendly agricultural systems, they are not only able to produce healthier and more resilient crops, but also to keep our waters free of harmful toxins. View our 100% Organic Cotton Tees #BBD0E0 »
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11 June 2020
North Sails and North Kiteboarding set sail together for a cleaner planet this World Oceans Day.
Watch the video here. The ocean is our playground, being on the water is our passion, and protecting it is our responsibility. So, this World Oceans Day, the North Brands have teamed up to help amplify the call on world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030. Top scientists say we need half of the planet in its natural state to prevent the extinction of one million species, stay below 1.5°C, and safeguard all people that rely on nature to survive and thrive. We can start by protecting 30% by 2030. This critical need is called 30x30. By safeguarding at least 30% of the planet’s ocean through a network of highly protected areas, we can help ensure a healthy home for all. Sign the 30x30 petition asking governments worldwide to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and ocean here. World Oceans Day brings people together annually on the 8th June to rally support for protecting our ocean home. "Taking action to protect our ocean is not a one-time thing, it is our everyday responsibility, because like Dr. Sylvia Earle said- ‘No water, no life; no blue, no green’” - Toluwanimi Olubanke, World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council member from Nigeria. North Kiteboarding and North Sails’ collaboration recognises how much we all rely on our ocean playground and unifies two sports and industries through our shared responsibility - protecting and restoring our shared ocean. The North brand started in 1957 when Olympic gold medalist and trained engineer, Lowell North, sought to change the world of sailing through precision technology. North pioneered advanced computer modelling in the design and manufacture processes with his understanding of sail forces and structural loads. With 60 years of sailmaking technology and state of the art innovation, North Sails is the worldwide leader in sailmaking. Just like its founder, North Kiteboarding’s designers and makers are fascinated by the interplay of the elements and the eternal principles of physics. Discover North Kiteboarding technology here. As well as signing the petition to call for 30x30, here are fifteen ways you can help protect the ocean and marine animals, thanks to IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare); Conserve water and reduce runoff: All water eventually finds its way to the ocean. Unfortunately, contaminated water can carry harmful chemicals that kill marine life and produce dangerous algae blooms. To reduce runoff and conserve water, you can… 1. Take shorter showers 2. Use a rain barrel to collect water from your garden 3. Turn off automatic watering systems in your yard when it rains 4. Limit laundry days to when you have a full load and regularly wash small items by hand 5. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth Reduce plastic usage: Every year, millions of tons of plastic enter our ocean and threaten the lives of marine animals. Birds, dolphins, whales, and turtles become entangled in plastic and die from suffocation, starvation, or drowning. If consumed, tiny particles of plastic can cause fatal health issues for marine animals. To help protect marine life from the dangers of plastic, you can… 6. Refuse plastic straws at restaurants and bars 7. Ask for no plastic silverware when ordering takeout 8. Carry a reusable water bottle 9. Recycle at home and at the workplace 10. Participate in neighborhood and beach clean-ups
