ABSTRACT
Sustainable development has been widely advocated in society and industry for some time and this trend continues to increase with the realization of the emerging impact of global warming. The sports industry as a whole has particular responsibilities in this regard, especially with respect to the developing countries as identified by the IOC (IOC, 2005). Materials and processes used for sports products carry with them potential environmental risks. For example ski boots use PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) based materials, athletic footwear uses petroleum-based solvents and other potentially damaging compounds such as sulphur hexafluoride in air bladders for cushioning and impact shock protection. Also, composites, such as carbon fibre reinforced polymers that are increasingly used in tennis racquets and other sports equipment provide greater strength or stiffness to weight performance but cannot be readily recycled at an acceptable cost or value.
