Climbing holds from the company Resetter Climbing
As part of a Reffnet consultancy, we supported the company Resetter Climbing in its efforts to develop sustainable climbing holds.
Today, most climbing holds are made of polyurethane or polyester. After heavy wear and tear, damage or when the climbing holds become «out», the old holds are burned.
Resetter Climbing is now aiming to develop a sustainable, if possible circular climbing hold. The first prototype they have developed consists of a bio-based matrix mixed with mineral fillers. As with conventional climbing holds, the hold is formed using a silicone mold and then cured.
Assessment and potential improvements
Using a life cycle assessment, we evaluated the environmental impacts of this climbing hold and identified potential areas for improvement.
Our analysis has shown that the impact of vegetable oil accounts for the majority of the overall environmental impact of the Resetter Climbing handle. There are two ways to reduce this impact:
- The oil currently used can be replaced with a different oil that has a lower environmental impact. It needs to be clarified whether the potential alternatives have the same properties as the vegetable oil currently used and could be used as a 1:1 substitute in the hold.
- To close loops, it would be useful to check whether the holds could be made from waste or residual oils. However, this would only be possible if the residues or waste have the same properties as the original oil.
It was also found that the service life of the handle is a decisive parameter. The longer the handle is in use, the better it is for the environment. It therefore makes sense to consider how handles can be recycled during production so that they can be used for as long as possible. Conventional PU grips wear out through use and become slippery and unusable, so they have to be discarded. With Resetter Climbing grips, the opposite happens. The matrix wears away and the grips become more structured. If the structure becomes too strong, the grip can be reconditioned so that it regains its original functionality. The aim would therefore be for the resetter climbing grips to be returned to the producers, where they can be refurbished and redistributed if necessary. It may be worth considering a "climbing holds as a service" business model.