Designer Jérémy Lucas makes surfboards out of surfboard-shaped algae

In France, designer Jérémy Lucas has created a 3D-printed surfboard using sargassum algae  to draw attention to the potential for the design community to address environmental challenges such as plastics waste. Dubbed Paradoxal Surfboards, the boards use algae collected from Spain’s Ris Beach along with thermoplastics, thermosetting materials and biosourced fibers. A limited number of the surfboards will be available in 2024.

Lucas tells Yanko Design that, when viewed under a microscope, the specific algae used has a surfboard shape.

The publication quoted a University of Berkeley study that determined producing a shortboard creates emissions of 375 lbs of CO₂. All told, this could equal 450 million lbs of CO₂ annually across the entire surfing industry.

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