Save our Playgrounds

Sustainability has become an ever more important subject to Duotone over the years. While it is clear to us, that producing kites, boards and the relevant gear will always have an impact on the environment, we are working hard to minimize our footprint with everything we do.

At Duotone It is our mission to create innovative kiteboarding equipment and safety technologies while increasing our corporate sustainability and contributing to positive social and environmental change. As kiteboarders, we feel connected to our oceans, lakes, and rivers and we see first-hand the damage being done to our planet. We depend on our natural environment and in turn, we believe it is our responsibility to protect it. We are aware that there is still a long journey ahead of us. At the same time, we are also proud of how far we have already come. As we find success with less impactful materials and new processes, it is our hope that others will follow suit and we can be part of a transition to a greener industry.

2016
Back in 2016, we began our first steps. By rethinking our packaging, we have reduced our use of non-sustainable materials by over 3 tons of plastic foil, 64 cubic meters of styrofoam and plastic, 66,000 poly bags and 13 tons of paper. In the same year, we did our first energy audit at our Munich headquarters to recognize energy-saving opportunities and reduce energy consumption from within the company. One of the main results was the switch to green electricity.

2017/2018
Since 2017 we have consciously and continuously focused on the research of eco-friendlier, recyclable or recycled materials and packaging to reduce the economical footprint of each product. We also reuse cartons whenever possible at our warehouse facility.

2019
2019 saw the start of our cooperation with Climate Partner. From that year onwards we offset the CO2 emissions from most of our products and the related production processes by supporting a recognized carbon offset project to make them climate neutral. Offsetting a total of approx. 4,000 tons (4047,46 tons) of CO2 a season.

May 1st 2019 Duotone organized the first global Clean Beach Day. The goal was to rid the beaches and the sea of garbage and plastic, as it not only limits the enjoyment of kiteboarding but also threatens the lives of marine animals, humans and the entire planet. During the first-ever Duotone Beach Clean up in 2019 we collected approximately 800 kg of trash from beaches around the globe. Since then Clean Beach Day has become an annual event.

2019 was also the year we introduced 100 % plastic-free surfboard packaging. The unique cardboard structure we implemented is a strong, reliable material that further reduces damage to boards in transit. Less packaging is required overall, making this lighter and even more efficient during transportation.

2020
Since 2020 all Duotone hangtags are made out of recycled paper - 280.000 pieces each season. After the success of Duotone’s Clean Beach Day in 2019, we decided to take things one step further: together with the partners from Boards&More the “Save our Playgrounds” initiative was founded. Now a campaign being run by all brands under the Boards&More umbrella underlines the importance to take responsibility and acting accordingly to save our playgrounds. Among other activities, the Clean Beach Day took place under the ‘Save our playgrounds’ framework.

2021
WASTE2WEAR
2021 saw a big step toward more sustainable materials. DTK joined forces with Waste2Wear, the first company in the world to produce fully certified fabrics from post-consumer recycled polypropylene (RPP), namely, old plastic bottles fished out of the sea. Our kite bags are made from recycled Waste2Wear fabric, and our Kite packaging is made from recycled plastic.

ORGANIC COTTON
Since 2021, we have been using 100 % organic cotton or an 80 % organic cotton / 20 % recycled polyester French terry fabric blend within our apparel collection. This organic cotton complies with GOTS standards, uses fewer chemicals with less water and energy consumed during production. All chemical additives, such as dyes, must meet certain environmental and toxicological criteria.

ROBLINE
Producers of our flying lines, Robline guarantees efficient logistics and reuses packaging. Furthermore, no plastic is used for packaging spools of line transported to our manufacturing facilities. The transport containers that come from our manufacturing facilities will be refilled with the empty spools and returned to Robline for reuse.

DUOTONE PRO CENTER
In 2021 many of our Duotone Pro Centers worldwide have reached out to join us on our mission. From eliminating disposable plastic utensils, using regional products and training and hiring from within the local community. We are excited about the outreach and commitment from our partners to continue to improve and join us on our mission to save our playgrounds.

With our first steps underway, it’s now time to take Duotone’s sustainability efforts to the next level. In product development and production, some aspects remain a challenge to realize truly sustainable methods, especially in the field of composite materials and high-quality polyester. Still, it is clear to us, that the goal cannot be to simply keep compensating for our CO2 emissions, we want to reduce them from the outset.

For 2022 we have started evaluating new concepts like “science-based targets” to find ways to proceed. We are in close consultation with brands in the outdoor sector that share the same vision many of which are making great strides in terms of sustainability. We work together with industry-leading brands in this sector, such as Vaude, sharing knowledge in a combined and continuing effort to become a more sustainable brand. We at Duotone pledge to continue the progression and our commitment towards pushing sustainability forward.