Over the past few decades, badminton racquets (along with tennis, squash racquets and many other sports equipment) have become very high-tech with respect to the materials used in manufacture. Lighter, thinner, tougher, more powerful, more responsive... these are just some of the mantras being used by the manufacturers and their spin doctors. So, what about spaceship earth? Once we're done playing with a racquet or it's broken or whatever, how do we dispose of this unwanted piece of graphite, or CNT or nanocarbon, or whatever, without degrading the environment we share with millions of other living species? Are any of the manufacturers considering introducing equipment that incldues a significant amount of biodegradable or "green" material in their final product? And how will this affect the performance of the product? If you had a choice of using a "greener" racquet that gave you the same performance/experience but had to pay say, 50% more for appeasing your social conscience as a citizen of planet Earth, what would you do?
I would gladly pay double if a manufacturer can guarantee the racket won't chip or break in a doubles clash. Then I won't have to buy a racket for 10 yrs, thus saving much carbon waste from entering the environment.
Lol... if I used a 100% steel racket, I can predict no one will want to partner me... not because we'll lose but because they will fear clashing with my indestructible rod.
Socially and environmentally responsible sports gear is a massive, massive new market in which not enough is being done. Technically, Carbon fiber is infinitely repairable, but there isn't the infrastructure to be able to do this currently, and there's no evidence people even want their rackets repaired. If someone made a super cool eco racket, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Maybe a Titanium shaft with a bamboo composite head?
What about the poor duck and geese who had to sacrifice their lives so that we can have some fun and fitness? Does it make it acceptable because they're ... ... biodegradeable?
You guys got some old and cheap racquets you don't really care about anymore? Missing grommets, bad grip or no strongs? Want to throw it away? Hold on! Now, why won't some of the top manufacturers or national associations come up with something like this, I wonder? http://www.tennis.com/gear/2012/11/stick-save-refurbishing-racquets/40142/
