These Lobster Shell Golf Balls are Biodegradable and Lightweight
Kyle Farquharson — April 22, 2011 — Eco
References: cnn & treehugger
Given the outdoorsy feel of golf, it’s easy to forget that golf balls are one of the most substantial sources of litter on earth -- and, for that matter, on the moon, but the lobster shell golf balls are looking to change that.
For each resident of the continental United States, one golf ball is lost or discarded every year, and according to researchers from the Danish Golf Union, golf balls require between 100 and 1000 years to completely decompose. Fortunately, a team from the University of Maine has proposed a solution, using a biodegradable material that abounds in New England: lobster shells.
“It drives like a real golf ball, and it sounds like a real golf ball [when struck],” said Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute at University of Maine.
The main goal of the lobster shell golf balls project is to reduce waste at lobster canneries in the Northeastern U.S., and boost the profitability of the industry.
“What we’re trying to do is take that waste stream and create a value-added product from it,” added David Neivandt, one of the UMaine engineers who helped design the lobster shell golf balls.
Photos courtesy University of Maine
Village Soup | City Pages
For each resident of the continental United States, one golf ball is lost or discarded every year, and according to researchers from the Danish Golf Union, golf balls require between 100 and 1000 years to completely decompose. Fortunately, a team from the University of Maine has proposed a solution, using a biodegradable material that abounds in New England: lobster shells.
“It drives like a real golf ball, and it sounds like a real golf ball [when struck],” said Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute at University of Maine.
The main goal of the lobster shell golf balls project is to reduce waste at lobster canneries in the Northeastern U.S., and boost the profitability of the industry.
“What we’re trying to do is take that waste stream and create a value-added product from it,” added David Neivandt, one of the UMaine engineers who helped design the lobster shell golf balls.
Photos courtesy University of Maine
Village Soup | City Pages
Trend Themes
1. Biodegradable Golf Balls - The use of biodegradable materials in golf ball production presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation and environmental sustainability in the sporting industry.
2. Eco-friendly Sports Equipment - The growing trend towards eco-friendliness presents opportunities for disruptive innovation and sustainable product development in the sports industry.
3. Waste Reduction in Manufacturing - The trend towards reducing waste presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in supply chain management and manufacturing in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Sports Equipment Manufacturing - The use of biodegradable or sustainable materials presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation and sustainable product development in the sports equipment manufacturing industry.
2. Seafood Processing - The trend towards creating value-added products from waste presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation and increased profitability in the seafood processing industry.
3. Environmental Conservation - The trend towards eco-friendliness and waste reduction presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the environmental conservation industry, particularly in the development of sustainable products and processes.
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