Check the WhoSki.com #GreenDirectory of sustainable businesses in the outdoor sector, below, before you book your next adventure or wintersports trip or buy your next piece of kit.
Our #GreenDirectory lists places to sustainably source / recycle / rent clothing and other equipment. We’ve got ideas for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, walking, expeditions and all sorts of outdoor activities, as well as greener travel / destinations / booking providers.
WhoSki.com makes it easier to support the resorts and businesses that are operating sustainably in the outdoor sector, with our #GreenDirectory. If you have any suggestions for #GreenDirectory additions, please contact us.
Clothing
Whether you buy your outdoor clothing secondhand, rent or borrow it for your trip: the greenest (and most affordable) option is always to choose NOT to buy new. The carbon footprint of the fashion industry is second highest only to the oil industry. Horrifying, huh? Find out more about sustainable fashion here.
Experts calculate that extending the active life of clothing by just three months per item leads to a 5-10% reduction in its carbon, water and waste footprint.
Secondhand, rental and reuse:
WhoSki.com : That’s us. The UK’s dedicated peer-to-peer secondhand marketplace where you can buy and sell pre-loved clothing and equipment for your outdoor adventures. From ski and snowboard to walking and snorkelling kit, we donate to charity on every sale.
One Tree at a Time : Eco French organisation that offers rental, repair and re-sale of clothing for ski, snowboard and summer Alpine adventures. They aim to: “Change behaviours, build community and protect mountain environments.”
Cotswold Outdoor : Clothes been worn to bits? Cotswold offers a textiles recycling service so you can drop off clothing no longer fit for purpose to be sustainably disposed of.
alpkit : We seriously fangirl this impressive UK-based company which not only sells outdoor wear (midlayers, baselayers etc) with immaculate green credentials, but also offers an in-store repair service. AND there’s a scheme whereby you can send or take in old clothing (must be in good condition) for recycling.
Preloved Sports CIC : Got race day sports clothing you no longer need? Donate it to this community interest company and they will make sure it swerves landfill, by selling it for charity on or donating itto a needy recipient.
EcoSki : Not sure whether skiing is for you? If you choose to rent rather than buy, this UK-based business offers performance winter sports clothing.
Kit Lender : US-based ski clothing and outdoor equipment rental provider that delivers to your destination. Perfect if you are travelling in North America and want to keep down baggage weight. Note: they rent kit for all kinds of outdoors activities from skiing to hiking, camping to fishing.
Kitsquad : They will accept kit you no longer want or need and pass it on to low-income people who want to get outdoors but can’t afford the necessary equipment.
Green Fashion :
Picture : A company that is 100% committed to sustainability. Recycled materials, sustainable sourcing, lifetime repair guarantee: “Before you choose to buy new, we encourage you to purchase a second-hand product. Whether a garment or something else, this is one of the most eco-responsible acts you can perform!”
66°North : An Icelandic outdoor clothing company putting circularity and sustainability at the top of the agenda. Carbon neutral, they create durable pieces that will last for decades. As they say: “It doesn’t matter if you buy a biodegradable jacket if – due to function, quality or aesthetics – you buy a new one every year.”
Patagonia : A pioneer of sustainable fashion. Buying Patagonia clothing, you can be sure of making a purchase that has minimal negative impact on the planet.
Finisterre : Policies of ‘innovative upcycling’ and sustainability across the product lifecycle put Finisterre up there as a brand that cares. They offer a repairs service from £20 up to £125 for a full jacket, as well as trade-in to ensure used items from their range are recycled rather than dumped.
Halti : Bringing Finnish attitudes to nature to its range of “circularly designed” outdoor apparel, Halti designs its mono-material clothes to be 100% recyclable. It also recommends you use its outdoor clothing for as long as possible and offers advice on how to fix if damaged.
MGG : Swiss brand that puts transparency and sustainability at the forefront of their operations, deliberately designing high performance outdoor and ski clothing that is durable and carbon neutral. They have the ambition to make purchases carbon positive but in the meantime, MGG gives a break down of the carbon footprint of every item they sell – a fascinating read.
Houdini : Swedish brand that boasts 100% sustainability credentials on materials used.
alpkit : Loads of environmentally-focused mid-layers, base layers etc that are perfect for outdoor adventures. Immaculate full-life cycle green credentials and commitment to sustainability.
Fjällräven : Deliberately choose materials and design items with longevity and strive to be sustainable across their business. Lots of tips about ways to look after and repair your gear to make it last longer.
Maloja : Gorgeous, eco-responsible active wear from a socially responsible Swiss brand. Baselayers, jackets and ski and boarding pants immaculately designed and conceived with a deep connection to the mountains.
Planks Clothing : Offers a repair service to prolong the lifetime of its clothing. Uses recycled materials in 50% of products, recyled and recyclable packaging, “constantly evolving our products and processes to lessen our environmental impact”.
BAM : Bamboo clothing company with a commitment to sustainability across its whole business. Great walking socks and underwear, too.
SQI : Stylish ski jackets designed to work as outerwear all year round. Says founder Freddy Hoare: “We believe that the most sustainable product is the one that can be worn 100+ times.”
Helly Hansen : Look out for the HH minimalistic Mono Material line, made entirely from polyester, including insulation composed of 100% recycled down-feel polyester. Single-fabric construction makes it easier to recycle once a garment has reached the end of its lifespan.
Haglöfs : Durable, functional outerwear. If you are the original owner of their clothing item, Haglöfs will repair it for free. They also offer tips on how to do simple repairs yourself, including how to patch a shell or down jacket and mend a zip.
Rab : The company that is also behind the Lowe Alpine brand. Takes climate responsibility very seriously with a strong repair, care offer from an in-house team.
Kit and Accessories
RENTAL :
Tentshare : Use community led tent-matching service, Tentshare, to either rent out your tent and camping equipment to earn income or book a tent from someone local to you or your campsite and save money without the set-up expense.
WhiteStorm : Sustainability-focused ski rental business with outlets in the French Alps including Courchevel, Meribel, La Tania, Val d’Isère and Tignes. Mobile fitting and delivery service brings rental equipment to the door of your chalet. They even offer clothing rental of re-conditioned, re-purposed ski jackets and pants to keep them out of landfill and maximise their active life.
KitUp Adventures : UK start-up KitUp aims to be “the AirBnB for outdoor equipment”. List your outdoor activity kit to share it with others, maximise its usage, make a bit of money and enable others to access activity in the outdoors in a more affordable, sustainable way.
Ski Butlers : US-based ski equipment rental company that also operates in France and Italy. Book your skis and other kit in advance for convenient delivery and fitting at your chalet / hotel. Officially ‘Climate Neutral Certified‘, Ski Butlers pledges to actively work to reduce emissions across its business operations.
KIT care and repair:
Grangers : Based in Derbyshire and specialising in eco-friendly textile detergents, Grangers promises effectiveness and sustainability for all its products. Bottles are recycled and recyclable with refill pouches available, detergents are PFC-free, and the entire Grangers production chain is bluesign® approved.
Sheffield Clothing Repair : Small specialist repair shop that is an expert in repairing and restoring outdoor clothing, including jackets, trousers and other gear to extend its active life.
Face Freeze : Plant-based snow wax that is biodegradable, contains 0% petroleum or fluoro, with all-recyclable packaging.
Butta wax : Greener, low-fluoro carbon snow wax, handmade and packaged from 90% solar-powered premises.
NZERO Liquid Ski Wax : 100% Organic and biodegradable plant-based ski wax that is free from petrochemicals, fluorine and paraffin and is non-toxic to the natural world (snow, mountains, water, wildlife). Created in Catalonia, Spain, available in the UK from Vanguard Cycles. Formulations for both alpine and XC skiing.
The Repair Finder : A growing directory of repairers across the UK for (ultimately) anything and everything including clothes, footwear and electricals.
Skis, SKI Boots :
Earlybird Skis : Award-winning, “the world’s most sustainable eco freeride skis”, built with bio-based and recycled materials, sustainably-sourced wood and bio-based resin.
Tecnica : ‘Recycle your ski boots’ scheme is now available in eight European countries (sadly, not yet UK). Ski boots (any brand) can be handed in at selected stores to be broken down into components and all parts will be sustainably recycled and reused.
Life Reskiboot : One to keep an eye on. They’ve got funding and are aiming to deliver a take-back and re-use system for ski boot rentals to recycle their multiplastics and components.
Travel
Getting there :
SkiFlightFree.org : A campaign to encourage skiers to travel to the Alps without flying. Lots of info and news about how to take the low-impact route.
Snowcarbon.co.uk : Rail travel to a ski resort creates only a fraction of the carbon emissions of the equivalent journey by plane or car, and can help make your journey a fun part of the trip. Snowcarbon helps make it easy to choose and get to a rail-accessible ski destination.
Skiline : Trips to the French Alps by train.
RailEurope : Travel to Swiss ski resorts by train.
Green travel agents :
Bookdifferent : Rates destinations by their eco rating so you can make your own decision about where to go / stay.
Positive Travel : A source of information for mindful travellers to access reliable knowledge about the environmental and social impact of specific trips and destinations.
Byway Travel : Bespoke travel arrangements from this indie agent that specialises in slow travel journeys across the UK and Europe. Flight-free. Their annual impact report details progress on sustainability ambitions.
Sno : This agent’s low-down on eco-friendly resorts is a good place to start for the facts about your destination’s climate credentials.
Much Better Adventures : A travel organiser that works with experts, businesses and organisations in local communities to craft what it describes as “the world’s greatest adventures”. The company works with 100% indie service providers to ensure money goes into the neighbourhoods where you travel. Much Better Adventures has pledged to halve its carbon emissions by 2030.
Ski Resorts Going Green
Wintersports resorts and regions are now making big efforts to increase sustainability and protect the environment.
Golden Eagle Awards : This US award scheme has been running since 1993 and celebrates excellence in environmental standards at North American ski areas. Named resorts are taking actions on sustainability that may put them at the top of your go-to list.
Swisstainable : Switzerland has drawn up a sustainability strategy programme for Swiss tourism operators: information here about accredited organizations.
Morzine, France : Montagne Verte is a non-profit association funded by the community to develop solutions for the region of Morzine to reduce its environmental impact.
Chamonix, France : advice on how to enjoy a more environmentally-friendly trip.
Geilo, Norway : This popular ski town has been a certified Sustainable Travel Destination since 2016 and is easily reached by train from Oslo. Geilo is hydro-electric powered and all large hotels in the resort have been environmentally certified.
Communities Doing The Right Thing
Re-Action Collective : A social enterprise that acts as a hub for businesses, organisations and others in the outdoors sector with the common objective of reducing wastage and increasing sustainability through the adoption and promotion of circular models. WhoSki.com is among the founder members of this group.
Surfers Against Sewage : UK-based marine conservation campaign group that advocates for cleaner water and beaches with plastic pollution a major focus.
SATI : The Sustainable Alpine Tourism Initiative. A “conference series aimed at progressing knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainability in alpine tourism.” We are proud to be part of this game-changing group of businesses and thought leaders.
POW : Protect our Winters. “Help passionate outdoor people become effective climate advocates to achieve systemic solutions to climate change, protecting our world today and for future generations.”
The BMC : The British Mountaineering Council campaigns on concerns from protecting and improving access to the countryside and coast, to planning issues affecting our precious landscapes.
PADI Dive Against Debris : International dive organisation PADI operates / supports a number of global initiatives to protect and clean up the marine environment.
Know a business that operates in the outdoor activities sustainability sector? We are continually updating the WhoSki.com #GreenDirectory: get in touch to let us know.
