Burton x Sway
Case Study: Seaweed Helped Protect This Snowboard
THE BRAND
Meet Burton
Burton likely needs no introduction. This iconic snowboard brand has always been a leader both on and off the mountain through their progression of the sport, product innovation, and increasingly, sustainability.
They have made amazing progress in their commitment to phasing single-use plastic out of their supply chains.
OUR PARTNERSHIP
From Sea to Slope
When you're passionate about the outdoors, protecting it becomes part of your DNA. Burton gets it: the future of snowboarding extends beyond snowboarding tech to every part of the supply chain.
As an Early Adopter in the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize powered by Lonely Whale, Burton was paired with Sway to test our 1st place-winning home compostable, seaweed-based materials.
Together, we prototyped a protective board wrap that could replace the problematic films used throughout the industry.
Primary Motivators
Transition all packaging to reusable, recyclable, or compostable materials
Enable efficient distribution by reducing volume and weight of packaging materials
Design for end-of-life to keep packaging out of landfills
"It’s tough to identify plastic alternatives that perform, mesh with our global supply chain, and are easy to responsibly dispose of. Sway is committed to meeting these needs. What a hopeful thought to envision the outdoor industry living their values with the adoption of circular, biobased packaging!"
- MITCH ROVITO, PACKAGING MANAGER
THE PROTOTYPE
TPSea Flex™ Snowboard Sleeves
Made with seaweed as a key ingredient: this regenerative marine crop grows abundantly without land, fresh water, or fertilizers
Circular end-of-life, designed to compost in home and industrial settings (certification pending)
Designed to protect gear during transit, ensuring pristine arrival to Burton customers
Tested at Burton's in-house facilities
Debuted at The Explorer's Center in partnership with Lonely Whale during New York Climate Week
In-House Testing
These prototypes were developed in Craig’s Prototype Facility, where Burton makes all of their products. This facility is renowned for its pioneering advancements in the design and technology of Burton’s snowboards, boots, and bindings!
Photo Credit: Jesse Dawson / Burton Snowboards
Making Waves
Innovation is a journey!
As a true innovation partner, Burton understands that developing solutions that stick require time and patience. Their hope is to contribute to industry-wide change by investing in novel packaging R&D to scale a variety of biobased packaging solutions.
While this sleeve is still a prototype, this partnership is an enormous milestone. With leadership from industry movers like Burton, we can support healthy ecosystems – from sea to slope – for generations of shredders to come.
Stay tuned for more as we continue to test and innovate together!
Burton Packaging Manager on the slopes with Sway founders' dog, Merlin.
