What happens to Shadow Foam offcuts & introducing our new product

We're excited to be launching a new product, but behind it lies a bit of a tale. To understand our excitement about the launch of our new Foam Smoothing Spinner, we'll need to explain the journey that got us there.

Shadow Foam's sustainability mission

Here at Shadow Foam we're committed to reducing our ecological footprint. We focus on what can be done to improve every step of our journey. That's right through from the design and manufacture of our product to delivery. We recognise the urgency of the environmental challenge our world is facing. We also believe wholeheartedly in the transformative power of making the right sustainable choices balanced against the commercial world we operate in. Small, conscious choices now can potentially drive change within our industry. They'll certainly help us align our values with our business efforts too. So we work hard to grow with these sustainability goals in mind.

Small differences require big changes

Some time ago now we discontinued our "original" Shadow Foam product on the basis that it wasn't sustainable. It was made from Polyurethane which isn't eco friendly in it's production and it's not recyclable. Therefore we took the tough decision to remove it from the market. Replacing it with something which better aligned with our values.

We also wanted to take responsibility for ensuring the products we supply have the longest possible lifecycle. Our product now, as well as being much easier to work with, became much more durable and offers a much longer lifespan than the original product.

Continuous improvement

We talk a lot here about continuous improvement. Usually it's in the context of the traditional sense of the concept. ie the way organisations encourage a culture of continuous improvement by using methods like Shadow Foam tool organisers. Shaping workplaces and processes to make for a more cohesive harmonious workspace and positive dynamic culture amongst colleagues. Often though, we turn that around on ourselves to look at what we can be doing better. Are there better products we can introduce or changes we can make to better fulfil our sustainability goals or make our customer's experience better?

Foam finishing tools

With the latter part of that thought in mind, a couple of years ago, we began introducing some foam finishing tools to our range. This included what became a bit of a cult-classic among our fans, the "Foam Smoothing Spinner". This is a very cost-effective but powerful little tool. It fits onto the end of an impact driver and spins to remove any lumps and bumps from the base of your Shadow Foam projects. Simple and effective, these items have flown off the shelves since their introduction back in 2021.

The evolution of the Foam Smoothing Spinner

There was a problem with these for us though. These small but useful items had to be sourced from the USA. And we sell a LOT of them! So that was an inordinate amount of shipping we had to use to get them. Additionally we were limited by the sizes we could get. That meant that they weren't always best suited to all jobs. It would surely be better for us if we could get a single spinner in the optimum size to do the job. Therefore the search began...

Clearly the tool is multi-use, but it's still manufactured from plastic. Therefore, we wanted to source a tool which was:

a) perfectly designed to the needs of customers using our product, but
b) was still a cost-effective tool that wouldn't break the bank for customers, however
b) which could now be manufactured from recycled material. Also, ideally
c) was manufactured in the UK

Luckily for us, we already knew and worked with just the right team for the job.

Introducing Brothers Make

Regular viewers of our Youtube channel will no doubt already know the inimitable Brothers Make.  The team are Matt and Jonny Browning and they are actual brothers, who you'll guess from the name, make stuff. Importantly, they make innovative products from waste material, essentially giving a new lease of life to what otherwise could essentially end up in landfill. So they were of course our first port of call.

Very much aligned with our own sustainability values, they design and make projects and innovative products out of a huge range of waste materials. We already recycle our waste or off-cut Shadow Foam material, so what better way to use it than to send it to Matt and Jonny for re-purposing!?

So around a year ago, the conversation and design process started with the Brothers Make team. Exploring whether re-cycled plastic, including our very own Shadow Foam off-cuts could be re-processed. Ultimately tirning our waste into a tool with which people can refine their Shadow Foam projects. The ultimate full-circle product.

The all new Foam Smoothing Spinners

So that's now spinner. We achieved our goal! The job that previously tool two differently sized spinners were there to do can now more easily be done with one. Introducing our new Shadow Foam designed Foam Smoothing Spinner. And the best bit? It's made from 100% re-cycled material.

Now whilst that single spinner will do the job and will not blunt or dull over long term use, we did take on board some feedback from our valued customersA few users commented that with the spinners being small, they were easily lost. Some people also found that the fine edge of the spinner can become deformed or bent over time if it gets trodden on or knocked about by heavy items. Of course it's worth mentioning again that Shadow Foam is a great material for protecting all your tools, even your foam smoothing tools! But we know that with small items like this mishaps can happen. So for that, and other commercial reasons, you now get a triple pack of the spinners, so they'll potentially keep you turning out epic foam storage solutions for a very long time to come.

The Brothers Make team did an awesome job developing the tool to our own specification. We're thrilled with the results. Additionally, as each spinner contains re-cycled material literally no two spinners will be the same! Of course they're all sized and shaped the same, with the same Shadow Foam stamp on the stem. But each of them has their very own unique marbled finish.

We couldn't be happier... mission accomplished! So now over to you, what do you think of the new Shadow Foam Smoothing Spinners!?