Aussie company launches biodegradable decks

Penny Organic is paving the way with environmentally friendly plasticskateboards

Updated: August 30, 2012, 7:27 PM ET

Penny Skateboards of Australia makes skateboards because of their deep love and passion for skateboarding. When Penny founder Ben Mackay was five years old he got his first skateboard at a garage-sale. Once Mackay and his father cleaned the bearings and the plastic garage-sale board could roll -- he was hooked.

Penny Skateboards make traditional wooden decks and had invested heavily in research and development with fiberglass and titanium, but it was the introduction of the Penny plastic board that have become a benchmark for the manufacturer. With the design based off that first board Mackay got at the garage-sale, the plastic decks were a hit from the get go.

This month Penny Skateboards continues their impressive evolution by introducing the first biodegradable plastic skateboard from the Penny Organics line. Rumors of an environmentally friendly plastic deck have been buzzing around the internet for months, but it sounded like an oxymoron -- "environmentally friendly plastic" -- it seemed too good to be true. With the release of the four color ways by Penny Organics, the skeptics have been silenced.

Penny's U.S. General Manager, Nick Timms, speaks to the original intention, "We really wanted to debunk any myths associated with plastic skateboards. As a result, we explored different options and twelve or so months later, we were able to refine the product so that we were truly happy with it. The Penny Organic range will definitely have a permanent home as a staple part of our seasonal offerings."

This biodegradable deck is as strong and fun as the original Penny plastic decks. However, when you're ready for a new set-up, after removing the trucks, you dig a hole in the yard and bury the board. Through an additive, which has been combined with Penny's Super Secret Penny Plastic Injection Molded Formula, over time the board will decompose as the additive reacts with a naturally occurring enzyme in the soil.

Penny's founder Mackay proudly explains, "We're continually trying to raise the bar with our products and the Penny Organic range is no different. We've put a lot of time and energy into making sure the boards ride well, are durable and of course look good. The result is a product that really challenges what's possible with plastic skateboards."

A buried Penny Organic board will fully decompose within a short amount of time compared to plastic bottles and dinosuar bones, but you choose not to bury your deck it'll last as long as a standard Penny plastic deck. When asked if burying decks is now a job requirement, Timms replied, "Of course! We're constantly looking to improve our product line and if it means that we need bury a few decks to ensure that our boards are up to par, then so be it!"

Hopefully there'll be a Skate and Biodegrade shirt to go along with the decks.

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Aussie company launches biodegradable decks