The surf industry would evolve so much quicker towards a more eco-friendly space if big retailers would apply firm and sustained pressure to the largest surf brands, who’s practices and processes are not compliant with making the planet a better place. 

By “naming and shaming” the poorly performing brands and sanctioning them via removal from their websites, the big retailers would show consumers what is good and what is bad. 

Instead, they waste the opportunity to promote what could be a genuinely impactful campaign by dedicating column inches and assets to these brands pseudo-eco, greenwashed messaging, designed to obfuscate the truth and offer the consumer the lowest value sustainable choice. 

One case in point from hundreds of examples. 

Back in 2016 not a single big retailer commented or acted on Rip Curl being found to be producing items in a factory in North Korea, known for abysmal human rights abuses. 

Yet every one of them gleefully celebrated Rip Curls B-Corp certification this year with blog posts, social media posts, and myriad likes and comments across LinkedIn. 

So what’s causing this? 

Simple… 

Money…

The reality is that surfing has become such big business that you have to tread very carefully when pointing the finger at a brand for fear of losing a load of your key accounts. 

Surf brands don’t tend to respond positively to eco criticisms and would rather strike out at the commentator than take accountability for their actions. 

For example: 

If you called Quiksilver ( Good On You rating of We Avoid) into question over the lack of recyclability of their rPET boardshorts, and whether they can quantify how many virgin plastic bottles have needed to be made as a result of them breaking a closed loop. Chances are you compromise your relationship with: 

Roxy (We Avoid)
DC Shoes (We Avoid)
Billabong (Not Good Enough)
RVCA (We Avoid) 
Element (We Avoid) 
VonZipper (We Avoid)
XCel Wetsuits (one word- chloroprene)
Honolua Surf Co
Kustom 

In other words you either stand by your ethics and morals, and your cleverly written mission statement by calling out the brand who exploited slave labour to produce their environmentally damaging apparel and in doing so have rid of other brands with terrible eco credentials. 

Or 

You protect your bottom line by not saying a word and remain handcuffed to key accounts with brands who can’t even obtain a Good On You score of “Could Do Better” between them.

When you call out the retailers you receive the most common of platitudes “we believe we can change the brands by working with them and advising them.” 

It’s time to admit that simply isn’t working, and never will while you prioritise “good business” over the planet. 

It is crucial that someone rewrites the e-commerce blueprint for surfing and brings the forward thinking, independent and eco-innovative brands to the fore. 

It’s time to reinstall the lost knowledge of what’s good and what’s bad…