GREEN SKATE INITIATIVES

Skatepark design, manufacturing, and construction should be innovative and highly functional with consideration to sustainability and environmental preservation.

1. Location Selection. Seek to redevelop neglected sites or brownfields to lessen the environmental damage of further urban sprawl.
2. Site Development. Skatepark sites should incorporate native vegetation with a goal of at least 20% vegetated open space per project site area to protect and restore the surrounding habitat. The site and installed equipment as a whole should have a minimal heat island effect. Skatepark design and construction should be sensitive to stormwater runoff to eliminate contaminants entering natural water flows.
3. Partners and Suppliers. Team with vendors and business partners that are taking their own steps to protect our environment and natural resources. Search for vendors and suppliers that are operationally proximal to avoid trucking raw materials over long distances.
4. Responsible Build Methods. Manufacturers, installers, and builders of skatepark equipment should identify areas of waste and excess and maximize efficiency and accuracy of work force, energy, and materials. Manufacturing, construction, land clearing, or demolition waste involved with skatepark development should be managed responsibly by salvaging or recycling as much as possible.
5. Sustainable Products. Skatepark equipment should be resilient and long-lasting, composed of recyclable and/or recycled materials, and feature low-emitting finishes. When lighting is necessary, install high-efficiency or solar powered lighting. This will optimize the lifespan of a skatepark and decrease maintenance costs all while reducing environmental impact.

At American Ramp Company we take pride in our commitment to providing the highest quality skateparks possible. As the leader in the skatepark industry, we recognize that it is our responsibility to set an example as an environmentally conscientious company.

We have invested considerable time and resources identifying aspects of our business that we can alter in order to maximize our customer satisfaction while minimizing our environmental impact. We hold firm to the belief that focusing on building the highest quality, longest lasting skateparks will insure the least environmental impact. By building skateparks right the first time, we help ensure that resources won’t needlessly be used to replace or repair in years to come.

Green Skate is an initiative set forth to create baseline standards for sustainability in the production and maintenance of skateparks. As one of the founding members of Green Skate, we have adopted a policy of evaluating the environmental impact of every decision we make.

• We use 85% recycled steel in manufacturing.
• The majority of plastics used in our products are made from 100% recycled plastic resin. This recycled material is post consumer plastic, and results in a closed- loop system.
• 100% of the products we manufacture can be recycled after their useable life span. Concrete products can be crushed and reused, and steel and plastics are all recyclable.
• Most of our suppliers and vendors are local to minimize the carbon emissions of trucking raw materials.
• All manufacturing is done at our Corporate Headquarters which is geographically central to all of our customer locations. Because we have one point of origin for our products we are able to minimize carbon emissions caused from shipping finished products.
• All of our skatepark specialists’ vehicles are fuel efficient Honda Civics and carpooling is practiced as much as possible. We are seeking to change our fleet to hybrid vehicles in order to increase fuel efficiency and minimize emissions.
• By increasing use of e-mail, we have greatly reduced the amount of paper used in hard-copy correspondence, envelopes and letters. Business records are digitized to minimize hard copy document storage. All paper is recycled after use, not shredded.
• We hold a strict environmental purchasing policy for all goods, from raw materials for production, to office supplies. These policies require the purchase of environmentally favorable and recycled materials when possible. ARC is proud to use FSC certified paper products for all printed marketing materials.
• We have LEED Green Associates on staff to provide support in our green design, construction, and operations. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.