The ULTRASLIDE® Slideboard has achieved a 20 year history of
helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts achieve game-changing results in their
training, conditioning, and rehabilitation programs.
But did you know the ULTRASLIDE is also
ULTRA-sustainable?
We incorporate sustainability
principles into every aspect of the business, from product development to energy
use to packaging and delivery.
Let’s
take a look at our sustainability principles in practice.
We Make ULTRASLIDE Slideboards
With Salvaged, Recycled or Certified Materials
Salvaging a resource means giving it a new purpose after its
original lifecycle ends.
We utilize salvaged ash trees in
the Chicago area that are lost due to
infestations,storms
or disease and give them new life as wood bumpers on the ULTRASLIDE.
Did you know that the non-slip rubber pads under the slideboard might have kept you
from slipping off the road at one time?
They are made from 100% recycled car and truck tires.
We use
Forest Stewardship
Councilcertified plywood to make the baseboard on the flagship ULTRASLIDE slideboards
so that old or rare species of trees are saved and maintain their ecological
value. The glue on the laminate backing is water-based and contains no
chemicals.
Even the instruction
packets accompanying the ULTRASLIDE are printed on 100% recycled paper.
Many of these components are produced within 50 miles of our facility in Northbrook, IL. We know that using local materials and
suppliers means less transportation and the need to use non-renewable energy
sources.
Our Carbon Footprint is
Small and Getting Smaller
Businesses cannot operate any longer without considering their effect on global
climate change. We are certainly
no exception and take this responsibility very seriously. Avoiding
conventional energy sources such as coal and oil keeps our carbon footprint
low. For that reason, we decided to invest in electricity from renewable
sources by receiving that energy directly or purchasing offsets.
In addition, we use the UPS Carbon Neutral option (at our
expense) for every ground shipment, which accounts for 98% of the boards
shipped. Inherently, the
ULTRASLIDE doesn’t require any electricity to use because it’s human powered. We are always looking for ways to
reduce our carbon footprint even further, with the ultimate goal of becoming a
carbon neutral company.
Every ULTRASLIDE Ships
in 100% Recycled Packaging
Post-consumer containers and packaging make up more than 30%
of the average American’s trash bin, most of which is not recycled. We are doing our part to change
that. The ULTRASLIDE ships in
custom board and surface boxes made from 100% recycled corrugated cardboard. We
entirely eliminated the use of Styrofoam and Ethafoam three years ago. All packaging is sealed with
water-based paper tape and all boxes and tape are both 100% recyclable. This ensures that our packaging
materials never need go into the waste stream or a landfill. That’s our “cradle
to cradle” packaging philosophy.
We Consider the
Environment in All Aspects of Our Business
Our company’s overall environmental consciousness is of
greater importance than any single action. As an environmentally-friendly company, it is ingrained in
our culture. We think about the repercussions of everything we do. Our landfill waste typically does not
exceed one trash bag per week because we know where that waste is going – and
we reuse or recycle things that others throw in the trash. We have a recycling dumpster – not a
trash dumpster. Our employees
often telecommute to save on fuel and maintain efficiency. We print only when absolutely
necessary, or do so on double-sided recycled paper whenever possible. We keep
the lights out unless we need them.
We market our product digitally and utilize print and promotional
materials only in rare instances. You
will never see an ULTRASLIDE four-color brochure at a trade show.
Visit
www.ultraslide.com to learn about new ways
we are staying committed to environmental sustainability and incorporating
these principles into the ULTRASLIDE and
Varisport culture.
