From waste to wave

For almost 70 years Land Rover has transported people across the world’s toughest terrain, but it is now making its first foray into the ocean with the ‘Waste to Wave’ surfboard, created using recycled plastic derived from early clay design models.With an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped in oceans every year, taking hundreds of years to decompose, Jaguar Land Rover has strengthened its commitment to achieving its zero-waste goal by creating a range of surfboards made wholly from recycled plastic.The surfboard was created in partnership with SkunkWorks Surf Co, a surf company with a focus on minimising environmental impact, and tested by the English Women's Open Surfing Champion surfer, Lucy Campbell off the coast of Northern Ireland. It was hand-built to the exact dimensions (5'7 x 18 3/8 x 2 3/16) required by Campbell, who is currently competing on the global circuit. It has carbon fibre rails from the nose and a carbon strip from the tail for additional strength while allowing flex to push through high-intensity manoeuvres.Polyurethane is used in the manufacture of life-size clay models which are modelled by hand at the very beginning of the car design process. The polymer forms the ‘skeleton’ of the models, which is normally destroyed once a car is launched, while the clay is recycled and re-used on site. Now, Jaguar Land Rover is ensuring that all plastic is recovered and sliced into blocks ready for a second life as surfboards or paddleboards.The very first surfboard, which was created from a Discovery Sport clay model that was broken down in June 2017, was designed and built by SkunkWorks Surf Co in Northern Ireland. Land Rover invited Lucy Campbell, the UK’s number one female surfer, to get behind the wheel of a Discovery Sport before putting the concept through its paces on the waves of Whiterocks beach, Northern Ireland. “When I first heard about this project I was so excited to be a part of it. The ocean is a big part of my life so helping to raise awareness of the need to preserve it is so important to me. I didn’t know much about the car design process and it’s been fascinating to learn about how Jaguar Land Rover is giving a ‘second life’ to its materials in this way. Getting out into the water and trying the board out for the first time was awesome.”As a business, Jaguar Land Rover is working towards zero waste, focusing on waste prevention through re-engineering and process change, maximising closed loop processes, and finally material re-use.Annually, Jaguar Land Rover reclaims 50 000 tonnes of press shop aluminium waste – enough to make around 200 000 Jaguar XE body shells.Last year, Jaguar Land Rover reworked and re-used 18.5 tonnes of recycled clay as part of the design process, which would have otherwise been discarded. Excess clay is bagged up and given to local universities for students to re-use.-MotorPress

From waste to wave

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-30

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From waste to wave

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-30

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