Tag: #SkiGreen

Can skiing come back greener?

Most of us have come to the terms with the fact we’re not going to be skiing or ‘boarding this season, and are instead looking ahead to 2021/22 for our return to the piste. This enforced hiatus is the perfect time to consider the carbon footprint of your trip to the slopes. WhoSki.com founder Sally Warren shares her thoughts:

“When my WhoSki.com co-founder Nicola and I embarked on our green ski-clothes journey I don’t think either of us were aware quite what a commitment to the #SkiGreen movement there already was within the wintersports sector.

“In fact, the eco snowsports industry encompasses an extensive range of start-ups, SMEs, policy makers, academics and long-term successful businesses, already making their mark to push the #SkiGreen agenda.

Focus on sustainability

“Since Lockdown1.0 in spring 2020, when the ski and snowboard industry essentially shut down overnight, energies have been poured into a focus on sustainability. And they – we! – are starting to make real headway. Late last year, SATI (the Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative) organised a series of thought-provoking digital seminars covering decarbonisation, the circular economy, progressing sustainability in tourism and sustainable development. I was lucky enough to be a panellist.

“These seminars have achieved a lot. They assembled movers and shakers in the wintersports industry in the same (virtual) room to discuss what they are doing. They highlighted the barriers speakers had come up against, the tourism psychology of choice and how businesses can become more transparent about their environmental credentials. They provided practical expertise for businesses and consumers and helped us develop a common purpose, about taking steps to reduce carbon footprint.

“Barriers highlighted included:

  • government non-commitment (we certainly see that regarding the circular economy in the fashion industry),
  • no industry-wide green ‘kite mark’ or ‘accreditation’,
  • lack of transparency by some businesses for consumers
  • the rise in temperatures and its impact on mountains.

Industry acts on wintersports clothing

“Ski fashion finds it difficult to get ski gear recycled within Europe; Japan is one of the few countries where this can be done, yet transporting clothing to the other side of the world is no eco-solution for European businesses.

“There has however been real innovation. New materials for ski clothing now frequently incorporate recycled plastic, and some are starting to revise designs to minimise the environmental impact of clothing. Incorporating fewer zips is one simple way that helps make it easier to recycle clothing, for example.

Inform yourself

“It’s definitely getting easier for consumers to find out more information (check our blog here) but how do you as a skier or snowboarder make that jump, that commitment to reducing your impact on the environment?

“A recurring point made by numerous SATI participants, was the need for governments to legislate. The wintersports sector is increasingly calling for a courageous green commitment at resort level, national and European levels.

“What I got from attending SATI’s online events, is that we all want to see visitors enjoying the mountains. But at the same time, it is essential that we reduce and minimise the impact of our visits on the environment.

“This covers simple choices ranging from the building you stay in, how you travel there, which resort you choose and the clothes you wear. All make a difference.

Make the right eco choices

“Alpine tourism tends to attract more affluent visitors: people who can afford to make a conscious change in their buying behaviours and make environmentally-friendly choices when visiting the mountains.

“Meanwhile, industry needs funding to raise consumer awareness, to guide them through change on the greener mountain futures. Large holiday providers must work harder to communicate how their clients can #SkiGreen, and what they are doing to promote sustainability. Their actions should not simply consist of ‘offsetting’.

“It is apparent that the Alpine sports tourism industry is undergoing – and driving – change. While there is a long journey ahead, these passionate business leaders are going to be the industry’s strong collective voice – so keep your eyes peeled as the #SkiGreen campaign gathers pace.

“Finally, I’d like to thank Sarisher Mann from SATI for doing such a great job in getting the 2020 programme up and running, questioning us and our goals and getting us together. We look forward to SATI 2021.”

WhoSki.com join SATI (Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative): how to green up your wintersports habit

WhoSki.com was delighted to join a panel of major players in the snowsports field for last month’s virtual SATI conference.

SATI is the Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative which promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainability in alpine tourism. The circular economy was a focus for this conference. It’s exactly what we are trying to promote in the wintersports clothing sector by enabling you to buy and sell preloved items from your ski and snowboard wardrobe, extend their lifecycle and keep them out of landfill. Find out more about our eco-motivations.

Our SATI webinar back in December discussed the impact of mountain tourism and how to make the right choice for the environment when enjoying snowsports. Here are some of the tips we picked up from the event:

1 Booking your ski holiday

Look for a smaller, specialist company which works with specific resorts and can book you into accommodation providers with established sustainability plans to reduce their carbon impact. For example, bookdifferent.com will give you a “staygreencheck” rate, public reviews and carbon footprints as well as clear top tips for responsible holidays. The platform is simple and easy to use.
If you book though a major ski company, ask what they are doing to reduce environmental impact, how they are working with resorts and why they don’t do more to help consumers understand how to #SkiGreen.

2 Travel to your ski resort

Flight costs look likely to rise in the wake of last year’s enforced shutdown, plus we all know the environmental damage air travel causes. Driving might be tempting from a Covid-secure point of view, but the train is your most eco-friendly alternative.
Visit snowcarbon.co.uk for timetable information and travel options to your chosen resort. They’ve done the hard work to make booking easier for you. Or follow theskipodcast.com where host and creator Ian Martin touches on many snowsports-related topics, including vehicle-free resorts.

3 Do your research

Attend the www.NationalSnowShow.com this autumn. The #SkiGreen agenda will be a big part of their offering at the show at the NEC in October 2021 with input from a number of emerging green companies across the whole snowsports sector. Come along and find out more.
PS: bring your preloved ski clothing – WhoSki.com will be present to help keep your jackets and pants out of landfill and in circulation. We’ll be providing more info closer to the date.

4 Dress green

No longer wanted wintersports clothing is notoriously difficult to recycle with its mixed fabrics, coatings, zips and fastenings. That’s why so many brands are now using sustainable materials in their collections. But however eco your clothing’s credentials, re-use always beats recycle. Ensuring every item of clothing gets the maximum number of wears should be your goal.
That’s why we created WhoSki.com as the online marketplace where you can buy and sell good quality secondhand ski and snowboard clothing. Perfect for families and students on a budget. It’s also the ideal solution for Instagrammers wanting to snap a different look every day for their channel.

Look out too for brands like Planks, Picture, Surfdome and EcoSki which offer transparency in manufacturing and sustainability credentials. Some brands will repair damaged clothing including Patagonia and Norrøna. In Scotland, try Scottish Mountain Gear.
Even skis are going green, with some marques using wood and other natural materials to make them increasingly recyclable.

5 Get your voice heard!

Finally, we recommend you sign up to protectourwinters.uk which is lobbying government and business to act on the environmental impacts of wintersports. Follow us on twitter @wewhoski for more eco-ski inspo, and spread the word: it might just be the best thing you do this winter while ski and snowboarding is off limits.

Have you signed the Ski Train petition yet?

More than 10k people have signed the petition to Save the Ski Train – which Eurostar has cancelled for winter season 2020/21. And there’s still time to add your name to the list.

The Ski Train, which has been running between London and the Alps since 1997, is hugely popular with UK-based skiers. For the last two years, tickets for travel during for the peak February half term week have sold out within five hours of going on sale.

‘Take the train to the slopes’ website Snowcarbon – whose founder Daniel Elkan took part in our #SkiGreen webinar recently – has long championed Eurostar for its convenience and eco credentials.

24k travellers opt for Ski Train over flying, driving

Some 24,000 travellers a year choose to take Eurostar’s Friday overnight and Saturday daytime services. For ski season 2020/21, the Ski Train was likely to have been the option of choice for even more skiers wanting to avoid airports and busy roads.

That’s why it seems a bonkers time to cancel the Ski Train – and why Snowcarbon launched its Save the Ski Train petition.

So why has Eurostar decided to bin the train to the Alps for the coming season? There has been speculation in the French press that the operating company was hoping to convince the Government to offer subsidies as it has done for other coronavirus-affected businesses / sectors.

Eurostar itself says that it is focusing on high-demand routes between major cities, and would find it challenging to maintain correct hygiene measures on longer distance routes.

Cancelling the Ski Train has led to an avalanche of complaints from ski resorts and operators, already facing a likely drop in visitors for the coming season.

#SkiGreen to cut your carbon footprint

The way you choose to travel to and within your ski resort is by far the biggest contributor to your trip’s environmental footprint at some 57%, according to the Mountain Riders sustainability charity.

Swapping plane for train saves an estimated 80% in CO2 emissions, Snowcarbon says, as well as being more relaxing and often quicker than flying.

A large part of the reason we set up WhoSki.com was to help reduce the eco footprint of wintersports – so the Save the Ski Train campaign is one we 100% support. If you do one thing today: sign the petition.

Expert #SkiGreen tips from our webinar

We were delighted to assemble a super-knowledgeable panel of experts for our #SkiGreen webinar today, so we couldn’t let them get away without sharing their quick tips for improving your eco profile on the piste. Perfect timing for #WorldEnvironmentDay, and with one proviso: no one was allowed to promote their own business.

Our experts’ #SkiGreen tips:

1 Keep harmful microfibres out of the waste stream: use a Guppy bag when you wash your clothing.
– Rachael Westbrook, Founder of EcoSki clothing

2 Choose veggie or vegan food when you can, even while out on the mountain, to help make best use of the world’s resources.
– Iain Martin, Founder of Ski Flight Free and presenter of The Ski Podcast

3 Take the train to the slopes – it’s more fun, less hassle and massively reduces your carbon footprint.
– Jim Stewart, Founder and MD, BUTTA eco ski/board wax

4 Favour resorts that use renewable energy (there are plenty of them)
– Peter Speight, Team GB Olympic freestyle skier and account executive Futerra

5 Don’t wash ski clothes more than you have to – spot clean hot chocolate or vin chaud stains rather than putting the whole thing through the machine.
– Nicola Davenport, Co-founder, WhoSki.com

6 Provide environmental feedback to your ski resort, operator, supplier as it will encourage them to do the right things and address the things they are getting wrong.
– Daniel Elkan, Founder of Snowcarbon and sustainable travel journalist

Circular Economy Week, London 2020

The WhoSki.com #SkiGreen webinar, chaired by WhoSki.com Co-founder Sally Warren, formed part of this year’s ‘virtual’ CE Week London, with a a series of snappy presentations from our expert panellists followed by a Q&A session.

Topics covered included:

  • how to spot a ‘green’ ski resort
  • why we should all choose environmentally conscious wintersports clothing
  • how to organise your ski train trip to the mountains
  • why secondhand is no longer second rate when it comes to pre-loved
  • why PFCs are ‘the forever chemical’
  • how we can protect our mountains for the next generation

Many thanks to all who took part, Circular London for proving us with a slot at this prestigious event, and Sustainable Merton for supporting us with the advice and tech expertise that powered the #SkiGreen webinar.

Watch the video of our #SkiGreen webinar: 

https://youtu.be/ZfiL6yiNme4

Read the presentations:

See also: 3 ways to #SkiGreen this and every season

3 ways to #SkiGreen this and every season

1 Avoid flying to the mountains

According to train travel to the slopes website SnowCarbon, 73% of a ski resort’s carbon emissions emanate from the method of transport used by visitors. Swapping to train will cut up to 90% of the CO₂ versus flying there, they say.
Switching from plane to train is not only the most eco-friendly way to travel, but also the most civilised. You will know this if you have ever taken the snow train rather than fought your way through Geneva or Chambery airports, or driven the 1000 km across France to the Alps (at the same time as thousands of others).
The SkiFlightFree.org website cites figures from sustainability consultancy Antithesis Group that indicate flying to the Alps generates 6-7 times as much carbon as travelling by train:

Image: SkiFlightFree.org

If you’re travelling at half term, a family of four is likely to spend 50% less on the train then flying. The car journey will be even cheaper, even after you’ve factored in the Eurotunnel crossing, an overnight stop and fuel.

TIP: if you are planning to swap plane for train, book early as key dates sell out fast.

2 Wash your ski clothing less

Every time you wash your ski clothing, it releases microplastics that wash through the drains into our rivers and oceans putting marine life at risk. Polyester is a major culprit.

Avoid washing it unnecessarily, spot clean where and when needed rather than putting the whole item into the washing machine, and hang items up to air at the end of every day – and particularly at the end of your ski holiday. You may find that you can completely avoid putting jackets, pants and salopettes through the wash completely.

For polyester and other man-made fibre items that need laundering, use a product such as a Guppy bag, designed to catch any microfibres which shed during the washing process.

TIP: Washing your clothing less often will also help it last longer.

3 Buy and sell secondhand ski clothing

Some £140 million of unwanted clothing goes into landfill each year, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Not only this is a terrible waste, but it also means toxins from dumped clothing slowly leach into the earth, and thence also our waterways and oceans.

Synthetics, like those which comprise most of your ski and wintersports wardrobe, are among the worst offenders. Not only do they not biodegrade, but they also reply on petrochemical industries, ie fossil fuels, for their raw materials.

It is vital for the environment, therefore, that they remain in usage for as long as possible. Extending the lifetime of clothing items by just a few months leads to a reduction in the carbon footprint of every item. Passing on a no longer wanted/needed piece of ski or snowboard clothing to another wintersports enthusiast means you are helping cut clothing production levels, albeit in a small way. Your old is someone else’s new: this is the principle behind the circular economy in fashion.

And that is, of course, why WhoSki.com exists. Support us – support the planet. Visit the WhoSki.com shop.

TIP: Always buy and sell kids’ ski clothing secondhand. It is generally good as new and costs a fraction of the price.