Atunas’ eco-friendly bodyboards turn heads at Surf Expo 2022

Do you know that every year thousands of tons of waste flows into the ocean yet only a fraction of it drifts to the shore, and that the pollution caused by the waste is much bigger than we can imagine? The impact is global. Consumers tend to choose disposable or less durable products due to their convenience or low price. BBC News reported in 2017 that the charity Beachcare estimates that each year, more than 14,000 pieces of polystyrene bodyboard are disposed of in landfills across the UK. When these surfboards break or disintegrate, they release particles that pollute the ocean.

Atunas, a brand of Sun Own Industrial Co., Ltd., is an outdoor supplies manufacturer in Taiwan. Founded in 1975 in Pitou, Changhua County, Sun Own Industrial specializes in manufacturing foam boards and products for various applications such as rollers for sports and fitness, shock absorbing materials for personal protection, flotation suits and bodyboards. The company also produces functional outdoor apparel and has developed a chain sales system in Taiwan. Atunas has continued developing products made of green materials with innovative designs that meet environmental demands, leading to the brand garnering several Taiwan Excellence Awards.

The Atunas development team noticed that over recent years, marine pollution has been increasing year by year. Part of the pollution comes from bodyboards with poor durability. They are rapidly gaining market share with their low prices. These products are made of polystyrene foam, which breaks easily and causes tiny particles to leak into the ocean, polluting the marine environment and killing sea creatures. Maui County in Hawaii has officially banned the rental and sale of disposable bodyboards since August 2022.

Atunas bodyboards are made with integrally forming technology, which eliminates the surface lamination process and enhances the durability of the material through molecular changes during the thermoplastic pressurization process, vastly reducing surface breakage or peeling. The core material is made of recycled plastic pellets from PET bottles and mixed with residual materials from the production process, creating durable and environmentally friendly new-generation bodyboards by recycling waste, reducing the carbon dioxide generated by waste disposal, and giving new life to waste.

In 2022, Atunas, with the goal of promoting eco-friendly surfboards, organized a multi-event campaign across the state of Florida, to educate consumers and distributors in the US about the advantages of Atunas’ eco-friendly bodyboards. The first event, which focused on the product experience, was held in August at Cape Canaveral’s famous Cocoa Beach, in cooperation with a local surf school. A number of coaches, bodyboard enthusiasts and local shops that sold surf equipment and accessories were invited to participate in the event. Atunas said they wanted consumers to get to know more about Atunas’ technologies and product performance through actual experience by trying out the bodyboards during the event.

The second event was the brand's participation in the surf expo at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on September 8-10, where Atunas not only exhibited products at its booth, but also teamed up with conference organizers to stage a product demonstration featuring music and free beer. The response to the event was overwhelming, with many inquiries about the products. The event also gave users, distributors and related industry players an opportunity to learn more about Atunas’ core technology and the value that the brand seeks to deliver.

In addition to organizing promotional events, Atunas also visited surfing equipment makers in Cocoa beach to communicate face to face their efforts in environmental protection, with an eye to jointly promoting durable products and products that don’t leave a carbon footprint. In addition to surfing gear, Atunas plans to launch a series of products made with the same recycled material, including several for indoor sports and fitness as well as for stress relief and massage.

Atunas seeks to provide consumers with more earth-friendly, durable, carbon-reducing and recyclable products that will help them enjoy the fun of surfing while truly contributing to the sustainability of the environment. At present, Atunas' water sports equipment is available on Amazon. The brand will continue to launch eco-friendly products, to expand its diverse and eco-friendly pipeline, giving consumers an opportunity to contribute to the health of the environment, whether at home or outdoors. It goes without saying that, if you have any good ideas and suggestions, you are invited to contact the Atunas' sales team so that we can work hand in hand to develop them into products together.

Contact: Peter Liu, Business Manager
[email protected]