Can Surfboards Be Recycled?

There's nothing quite like getting a new surfboard. The joy of bestowing its first coat of wax upon it, or paddling it into a wave for the first time— unbeatable. 

It’s hard to imagine when it’s shiny and new, but eventually every new board— becomes an old board. Whether it has been ridden to death, is being traded in for a higher performance model, or is the unlucky subject in a quiver downsize, every board will one day surf its last wave. 

Why Is It So hard to Recycle Surfboards?

Almost all surfboards are made up of fiberglass, epoxy, and foam— so can they be recycled? 

Short answer, not really.  

If you peel away the top layer of a foam board, the foam center can often be reused in a new board— odds are you’ll be able to find a local shaper or surf shop that is willing to take your trash and turn it to treasure. 

A board's foam core may also be accepted by some specialized recycling centers, where it can be broken down and reused as styrofoam. 

But before running off to the recycling center or tossing your board to the curb— first consider the other more sustainable options for your pre-loved surfboard. 

Second Hand Board Market

Sending your board back into the market is the most sustainable option by far.  Assuming it isn’t completely past the point of no return, it’s likely that someone out there would be stoked about giving your board a second chance at the ocean. 

Where to sell your board: 

• Facebook Marketplace— most surfers are familiar with Facebook Marketplace as a goldmine for used boards. Pro tip: join your local surf swap group, pretty much all surf towns have one. 

• Your local surf shop. Lots of surf shops sell used boards, or at least rely on them to populate their rental operations. Oftentimes, they will happily take your old board off your hands for either cash or store credit. 

• BoardRecycler is both a website and app, entirely dedicated to listing old boards and surf gear.  

• Second Hand Boards is another awesome website that makes selling a board too easy— allowing your board to be visible to all local viewers who may be interested in adopting your old board.

• RE-RIP. While Re-rip is donation based, if you’re a California surfer just looking for your new board to get a new home and aren’t too worried about getting financially compensated for it, RE-RIP are your guys. As a non-profit organization specifically dedicated to keeping surfboards out of landfills, they will find your old board a new home. Find locations along the California coast from SF to Baja!

List your board on Facebook Marketplace, one of the specifically surf-oriented online marketplaces, or better yet— sell it to your local surf shop! These are all simple and effective ways to ensure your board doesn’t get sentenced to a lifetime landfill sentence.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Old Board

If the secondhand market isn’t an option, maybe you’ve managed to snap your board clean in half, or it’s so full of water it could sink, there are a ton of creative things to do with an old board. 

1. Surfboard Chair, Table, Outdoor Shower? A plethora of tutorials exist to assist you in transforming your unsurfable board into usable furniture. Every time you sit on your surfseat, or flick on the water of your surf powered shower, you’ll surely be taken back to the board's glory days. 

2. Paint it for House Decor. Maybe you’re the artistic type and could turn a raggedy old board into a masterpiece with just a can of paints and a brush. Or maybe you’d better stick to surfing… but at least know someone who's good with a paintbrush. There is endless inspo and endless possibilities for the repurposed art you could create.

3. Surfboard Swing. Hang your surfboard in a tree outside. Sitting on it will make for a  lovely place to read a book, and standing on it could be an entertaining challenge on days when it’s flat. 

4. Donate it to a friend in need. You know you have that one friend (or grom) who could use a new board, consider just giving your unwanted board to them— it’ll make their day. 

Conclusion

Unfortunately surfboards themselves are not as environmentally friendly as you'd like. The foam at their center takes forever to degrade and so many of them become trash long before they should.  

By reducing our surfboard consumption, reusing old boards, and purchasing from the second hand market, the surf community is on a path to sustainability.