Star Bamboo Singapore

This may sound a bit odd coming from a manufacturer of eco-friendly bamboo flooring, but you really shouldn’t be paying over the top for eco-friendly products.

I have discussed this issue before. It is perfectly understandable if prices are higher due to higher costs of manufacturing. But we have to ask ourselves, is it a fair price?

I came across Funkin Function skateboards made from scrap wood. They are made from scrap pieces of wood, such as oak, walnut, and ash:

We used to manufacture eco-friendly bamboo skateboards for an Australian company, before deciding to streamline our products and focus our attention on bamboo flooring.

Two things to note:

1. The boards are made of 2-3 separate pieces of scrap wood. These smaller pieces are much easier to source for than a single large piece of wood, which would make them cheaper
2. Unlike many skateboards which are slightly curved at the ends for greater control, these are flat longboard skateboards. This is much easier to manufacture, and saves on the cost of pressing.

A typical skateboard costs between US$50 and US$120 at this online skateboard store.

Yet despite these cost-saving measures, the scrap wood skateboard is going for a princely sum of US$495. That’s almost 10 times the price of an entry-level skateboard.

The bottom line is obviously important, but we green manufacturers also have a social responsibility to encourage greater use of eco-friendly products.

Pricing eco-friendly products at such sky-high prices is not helping the cause.