Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Shields.
Brian, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Suga manufactures premium quality yoga mats in the USA from 100% recycled wetsuits. The name Suga evokes the two worlds it straddles. Suga was born, raised, and thrives in the capital of both surfing and yoga: Encinitas, California.
Suga was born out of necessity by lifelong surfer, yoga practitioner, and Encinitan, Brian Shields, who sought a solution to an enduring problem. While surfers enjoy a unique bond with the natural environment, we struggle to reduce our environmental footprint. Non-biodegradable neoprene wetsuits present a unique challenge in this regard. Suga worked extensively with engineering experts to recycle these petrochemical based landfill clogging neoprene monsters into highly functional instruments of yogic bliss.
Suga is grounded in a culture of environmental stewardship. We seek to set an example of corporate sustainability and social responsibility. We engender these values by reducing the impact of neoprene wetsuits on our natural environment, creating a long-lasting product, and maintaining responsibility for the lifecycle of our products.
If corporations are afforded personhood by law, we believe they should be held to the same ethical standards as humans. To that end, corporations should take responsibility for their products from cradle to grave.
Suga has created a product using recycled materials that can and will be recycled at the end of its useful life. We have implemented two programs for our products, both of which allow our customers to return our used mats to us for recycling. We are also a proud member of 1% for the Planet.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely not easy bringing Suga to fruition. Neoprene was invented by Dupont in the 1930s as a synthetic substitute for natural rubber, which degrades very quickly. Unfortunately, few people had worked with neoprene in the interim, so it was a struggle to find the expertise to design the product. That said, starting from scratch allowed us to design a better yoga mat from the ground up.
We launched Suga with a successful Kickstarter campaign but then faced the uphill battle of simultaneously fulfilling a thousand order for a product we had yet to make en masse. Somehow we prevailed and three years in are going strong.
Please tell us about SUGA.
From inception, I wanted not only to begin with raw source material diverted from a landfill but also to create an entirely closed-loop product, that would be entirely recyclable at the end of its life. In so doing, I wanted to use Suga as a small example for much bigger companies to follow in terms of both materials sourcing, and cradle to cradle product responsibility.
I am so humbled by customers’ gratitude and appreciation for what we do. Their reception of our product has been amazing. I love that the story of what we’re doing resonates so well. I think consumers are looking for more products that are sustainably sourced; unfortunately, there are few options out there in so many product categories.
There’s also a lot of greenwashing in product marketing (where companies tout products as being eco-friendly when they are anything but sustainable). I’m proud that we are truly, 100%, closed-loop, and carbon neutral, including all of our packaging.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
That’s out of left field! I would have to say hanging my feet off the bowsprit of my parents’ small sailboat as it rose and fell through the waves, with dolphins riding the bow-wake. My love of the ocean continues to this day.
Pricing:
- Suga Yoga Mat – $79
- Suga (C2G) Cradle-to-Grave Yoga Mat – $99 (lifetime replacement option)
- Suga Surf Change Mat/Meditation Mat – $29
- Suga 3mm Travel Yoga Mat – $64
Contact Info:
- Website: www.suga.yoga
- Email: customersfirst@sugamats.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/suga.yoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugamats
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SugaMats
Image Credit:
SUGA, LLC
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