HockeyStickMan turns waste into new products

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

A primary focus of CSR is the environment. HockeyStickMan understands that all companies, no matter the size, have a carbon footprint and it is important to incorporate measures to reduce it.

HockeyStickMan takes pride in reducing the amount of waste created by composite hockey sticks by sourcing broken hockey sticks across North America and reusing them to create new products. 

Refurbished Hockey Sticks

One of the products HockeyStickMan creates from broken sticks is the refurbished hockey stick. Refurbished hockey sticks are created when the shaft of a broken stick is repaired. Refurbished hockey sticks are an affordable option for our customers who want a high quality stick for ice hockey, ball hockey, or inline hockey.

“Feels just like a regular stick and performs like a top of the line stick” said Matthew F, HockeyStickMan customer since 2018.

Refurbished sticks that are repaired in the shaft are high quality because they are 4x stronger in the repaired area than before. If a refurbished stick is to break, it unlikely to break in the repaired area. 

“The refurbished sticks I have purchased and broke did not break where they were repaired, and I recommend the HockeyStickMan to everyone that asks where I got my sticks from” said Phillip G, HockeyStickMan customer since 2019.

Every year, HockeyStickMan collects thousands of broken hockey sticks. The highest quality sticks that have the matching pieces are turned into refurbished sticks. We have sold over 37,000 refurbished hockey sticks since 2010.

Some broken sticks have several breaks or a weakened/broken blade and would not create a quality refurbished stick, but can still make a quality product. HockeyStickMan continuously strives to find new ways to prevent scrap pieces of broken hockey sticks from going into landfills. Most notably, we use broken hockey sticks to create other unique products like snow brushes and chairs. 

In 2018, HockeyStickMan partnered with Harmsen's Hockey, an eco-friendly company that focuses on turning broken hockey sticks into cool products such as bottle openers and BBQ scrapers. This strategic partnership allows us to work together to reach a common goal of reducing waste and creating new products for consumers to enjoy. HockeyStickMan is able to support Harmsen's Hockey by providing them with broken sticks to help them create their innovative products. By working together, we are able to keep more sticks out of landfills.

 

Why did we do this?

At HockeyStickMan, we noticed the high number of sticks going into landfills every year. Although we were not obligated to make a change, we saw this problem as a challenge and turned it into an opportunity. From day one, refurbished sticks were a main part of our business model. Over the years, our team has grown and we have implemented new ideas. As we have increased our collection of broken hockey sticks, we have been able to provide consumers with more quality products.

It is important for our customers to know that we are conscious of the waste that the hockey stick industry creates and that we strive to reduce that footprint every day.

How can you support it?

Earth Day is a day we celebrate our planet and a reminder to everyone that we need to take care of it. If you want to help support our mission to reduce waste, you can start by collecting broken hockey sticks in your community to keep them out of landfills.

HockeyStickMan is excited to be launching a Broken Stick Buy Back Program, where customers will receive a $5 store credit for every qualifying broken stick they drop off at the Belleville or Toronto location. 

The Broken Stick Buy Back Program shows that HockeyStickMan is driven to change the issue of how much waste hockey sticks produce. By turning the waste of broken hockey sticks into new products and finding new ways to collect more sticks, HockeyStickMan and Harmsen's Hockey will continue to reduce the amount of sticks going into landfills.