Late last year, IWC Schaffhausen and Australian surfboard designer / brand ambassador, Hayden Cox celebrated their ongoing partnership with the launch of ‘Remote’ – the world’s first floating Surfboard design studio. Themed around the concept of sustainability, the ‘Remote’ floating pop up studio showcases the art of surfboard design and Haydenshapes’ (Hayden Cox’s surfboards business) pioneering approach to upcycling manufacturing waste.
A few days ago, the duo released an extremely influential 2 minute film based around how the company is trying to reduce its impact on the environment. Shot mostly on location at Haydenshapes’ ‘Remote’ floating pop up studio on Sydney’s Pittwater, the video shows Cox repurposing manufacturing waste, which is typically thrown away, into performance surfboard components and an innovative new cloth.
“We wanted to take the offcuts and waste we are normally left with and create something new,” explained Cox. “Traditionally, we discard about 30-40 percent of our raw materials in the production process, which then ends up in landfill. Therefore, our wish was to come up with an entirely new idea to regenerate that waste into surfboard components we can actually use.”
Taking leftover carbon fibre and glass fibre from surfboard lamination, Cox has developed an idea to upcycle them. After being cut up and aerated, the waste fibre material is then mixed together and reintroduced into weaving machines to create a brand new fabric. Foam dust and bio-epoxy resin waste are also transformed into lightweight accessories like tail pads and fins.
“There are businesses that make incredible sustainable surfboards, but I like to think differently and do things in my own way,” added the Australian. “I wanted to create a board that doesn’t create waste – or if it does have some waste, then it is used elsewhere.”
According to Cox, it was a trip to the IWC Schaffhausen factory that prompted his ground-breaking upcycling idea. He was Intrigued by how watchmakers use scrap materials and wanted to apply the same methodology to his business.
Hayden Cox
“As I was going around, I saw how all the metals and raw materials, which are offcuts from the production process, aren’t wasted,” he explained. “Instead, they are carefully gathered up, then melted back down and used for new watches. From that tour of the factory, the idea for our pioneering upcycling process in surfboard manufacture was born.”
“We see sustainability as integral to our future and it’s at the heart of everything we do. From powering the manufacturing process in a green way to developing new packaging for our finished watches, which uses 90% less plastic than previously, we are constantly striving to minimise the environmental impact of our business.” added Franziska Gsell, CMO IWC Schaffhausen
In addition to focusing on unique upcycled manufacturing methods, Hayden is also raising funds towards the recovery efforts in supporting WIRES Wildlife Rescue. The fundraiser has so far surpassed over $120,000 dollars in donations in the first 24hrs. More information on Haydenshapes.com or on Instagram @Haydenshapes
Watch the Video here:
In front of a captivated audience, Hayden Cox molded a center stringer made from a mix of upcycled chopped carbon, glass fiber, foam dust and bio-epoxy resin waste, as well as an upcycled custom fiberglass cloth made from factory offcuts. Guests were then guided into transforming waste into light-weight accessories like tail pads and fins.