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 ski 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.
