Duotone DRIVEN Magazine No.04

Rawmaterials made of plastic, global sourcing, and small steps: How sustainable can a brand be in kitesports? A stocktaking by Boards & More CEO Till Eberle. STEP BY STEP Interview Bernd Zerelles Till, how sustainable can Duotone Kiteboarding be? We have been dealing intensively with the topic of sustainability for many years. It is defined as part of the corporate strategy of Boards & More. Our claim and our goal as Duotone Kiteboarding are very clear: We also want to set a benchmark of sustainability within our industry. Especially as a market leader, we see a special responsibility here. Our goal is to reduce the footprint of our products as well as our locations bit by bit. This is also a matter close to my heart and is supported by all our employees with conviction. However, it is also clear that it will be a long and sometimes difficult process. And, of course, it won't happen overnight. What exactly makes it so difficult? The topic of sustainability is highly complex. Things that look very good on the surface are often unreliable on closer inspection. Because, for example, energy balances are not correct. At the same time, sustainable alternatives in terms of materials, processes, and technologies are often lacking, especially in the water sports sector. Unfortunately, as a manufacturer, we only have a limited influence on this. But there are areas that you as a company can control directly. Yes, that's true. For example, we record energy consumption at our own Boards & More sites in Molln, Austria, and Oberhaching, Germany, and supply the sites with green energy. In addition, we also offset these energy consumptions. As a result, we in Oberhaching have already been considered a climate-neutral site since 2021. Molln and our site in France are set to follow suit this year. We also support our employees in purchasing company bicycles and have been able to reduce employee travel distances with home office arrangements. We also would like to install a photovoltaic system on our warehouse building in Molln. For example, there would be 16,000 sqm of space. At the moment, this is not possible because the public infrastructure is too weak. However, a much greater impact can be achieved by sustainably influencing products and suppliers. What measures are you taking there? We have chosen a very pragmatic approach and started with the 'simple' things. For example, we've already been optimizing all our packaging since 2017, trying to go plastic- free, and in that time, we've been able to save over 30 tons of packaging material. Our next step here will be to certify our packaging as sustainable to ensure that the materials we use really do meet sustainable standards. In addition, since 2021, we have had a Code of Conduct that is binding for all our suppliers in order to live up to our social responsibility at our production sites worldwide. It is based on the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) of the United Nations and defines standards for fair, safe and healthy working conditions, and environmental responsibility throughout our supply chain. In other segments, it's not quite as easy. Unlike textiles, for example, the kite industry is still in its infancy when it comes to sustainability standards and certification for materials. Often there is simply nothing of the sort yet. In addition, there are unfortunately few materials available in our field that are recycled, convincing in terms of energy balance, and at the same time have a high quality and durability. But as already mentioned, sustainability must be seen as an ongoing process. Everything cannot be changed at once but instead step by step. And we are working on this with total commitment. What about the kites? After all, they are the center of our sport. Can kites ever become more sustainable in terms of materials and production? The production of a kite, the actual sewing, is manual work without chemical and thermal processes and, therefore, not very energy-intensive. But it is no secret that kites, and kite products in general, cannot necessarily be called sustainable at this point in time. A kite is made of plastic, mainly polyester. That's why we are working hard to find adequate, more sustainable alternatives to the materials we have been using so far and also to reduce the CO 2 footprint of our kites. The main challenge is to find more sustainable cloth materials that also meet the high demands of our customers. A kite that is sustainable but loses performance or longevity cannot be the solution. S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y 86 D R I V E N D R I V E N 87