Last Monday was recycling day here at Astral Buoyancy and it was a busy one for the home office in Asheville. The goal of that afternoon involved loading a 16 wheel semi trailer full of leftover foam scraps. The foam scraps occur when we use a die cutter to trim out panels of foam for use as buoyant material in PFD’s…its kind of like a cookie cutter in that we end up with a good bit of excess material once the desired shapes are cut out. We are happy to tell you that this semi was filled with 100% Polyethylene Foam (PE). PE foam is far superior to PVC in that it can easily be recycled by the same processes that recycle your everyday plastic drinking bottles. We’re also proud to mention that 1/2 the amount of PE yeilds that same buoyancy as 1 unit of PVC so it makes good business sense too. For most PFD manufacturers this semi could easily have been loaded full of PVC foam, on its way to the landfill or burn pile (depending on their local regulations of course), but here at Astral it is ALL taken to the recycling center to be melted down and reused. For information on finding about how recycling can help your home or business visit http://earth911.org/

The foam scraps were piled up to the ceiling at Astral!

Notice the cookie cutter pattern of the PE scraps as Jared hauls them to the semi…

We ended up filling that truck so full of foam that it was hard to get the door shut.

Clearcuts are becoming frighteningly common in BC….

Do your part to help protect the land surrounding this kayaking phenomenon.

Please do your part to protect the pristine area surrounding this kayaking phenomenon. The village of Egmont, BC, is asking for the help of all kayakers who have ridden (or aspire to ride) the waves of the Skookumchuck Rapids. We have learned that a logging company has acquired the logging license in this area. The logging plans involve three huge clear cuts on the local watershed with one that extends right to the Skookumchuck Trail within the Provincial Park. Also, there is a planned cutblock that would mow down the trees along Egmont Road from Highway 101 to North Lake; a huge cutblock off of Maple Road; and another cutblock on the watershed at the north end of Ruby Lake. As well, the company plans to log Sechelt Nation Reserve lands just inside the Sechelt Inlet just past the rapids. The residents of Egmont asked if the logging company would take a sustainable logging approach but they said no and so the area’s residents have said no to the logging company.

We now ask for your support to keep the logging out of this area. We ask that you email the forestry rep (represents the agency in favor of logging the Skook zone) before June 6th deadline at cam_forrester@dccnet.com to express your dissaproval for logging this incredible natural resource. Also please copy that email to us at skookumnarrows@yahoo.ca

Please address your email to:

Cam Forrester, R.P.F. Consulting Forester

6231 Sunshine Coast Highway,

Sechelt, BC V0N 3A7

Tel: 604-885-7142, Fax: 604-885-7112

Email: cam_forrester@dccnet.com

We will be posting all information about this proposed logging and our efforts to stop it on our blog at www.saveourwatershed.com. We look forward to your support.

Sincerely,

Friends of Egmont

paddlers: James Mole and Steven Olsen

photos: BO