Sustainable skis

What is the problem with using skis?

The running surface of the ski glides over the snow the whole time you are skiing. But sometimes also over leaves, branches, stones or grass. This permanently rubs off part of the ski. Microfibres, also known as microplastics, come loose. The running surface of skis is made of plastic, or more precisely, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, also known as UHMW-PE. This offers the advantages of being very durable, extremely abrasion-resistant, UV-resistant and hydrophobic, i.e. water-repellent. This is very advantageous while the plastic is on the ski. However, if the abrasion remains on the ski slope, these advantages turn into disadvantages, as the plastic cannot be broken down by microorganisms. It is only broken down physically, i.e. by UV radiation, mechanics or similar processes. The microplastic not only remains on the ski slope, but also migrates from there into the ground in summer when the snow melts, is washed into rivers and from there reaches the sea.
Another case is macroplastic, which can occur when skiing, for example, if you ski over a stone and tear out a large piece of the base. This also remains on the ski piste. Pay attention to this in summer when you are hiking on a ski slope. If you take a closer look, you will find many pieces of macroplastic.

What is the problem with disposing of skis?

How are skis disposed of when nobody wants them any more? Sure, you can still make benches, wardrobes or other pieces of furniture out of them, but if nobody wants the furniture any more, then the question arises as to what to do with them. As a rule, old skis end up in bulky waste, at the recycling centre or in residual waste. From there, they are taken to the waste incineration plant where they are ‘thermally utilised’, i.e. incinerated. Unfortunately, not all components of the ski burn, such as the metal plates, steel edges or the fibreglass mats inside. The ash that is produced when the ski is incinerated mixes with the non-combustible, melted components to form a lump called slag. The slag is then deposited on a landfill site. If the skis contain carbon fibres, they must not be incinerated, as the carbon fibres cause short circuits in the electronic filter systems and damage them as a result. Skis with carbon fibres, but also all other items such as poles, bicycles, ... must be disposed of directly, as they cannot be incinerated.

Where is the development of recyclable skis heading?

The trend is towards skis that can be broken down into their individual components at the end of their life, also known as debonding-on-demand. For this purpose, the adhesive, usually an epoxy resin, is dissolved back into resin and hardener by means of chemical recycling. The individual components of the ski can then be disposed of separately or reused. The disadvantage of this recycling process is that it is very energy-intensive and the special recycling facilities are not available everywhere, so a lot of logistics have to be organised to get the skis to the right place. Another disadvantage is that the ski components continue to generate microplastics during use.
Recyclable skis were offered by earlybird, among others.
Recyclable alpine skis without microplastics are currently being developed by baseskis.

How should sustainable skis be constructed?

Skis should have a modular design so that all wearing parts such as steel edges or running surface can be easily replaced as required. All parts that cause abrasion, such as the running surface when skiing or in contact with stones, the sidewalls, i.e. the side view of the ski, which also grinds over the snow when carving, but also the top surface, also known as the top or decor, where you repeatedly come up against it with the steel edge and scrape off a bit of material, should be biodegradable.

How can I buy sustainable skis?

The most sustainable ski is the one that is not sold, as no raw materials or energy are consumed. So before you buy skis, consider whether you can borrow them from friends, acquaintances or the ski resort. You can also buy used skis, as the material doesn't really age. As long as the ski still has enough pre-tension and the edge and base can still be sharpened, you can buy used skis with a clear conscience. A good place to buy used skis can be:

• Ski bazaars, usually organised by local sports clubs
• Alpine flea market organised by the German Alpine Association in Munich
• Germany: ebay.de and Ebay classifieds
• Austria: willhaben.at
• facebook groups and the facebook marketplace

You can find sustainable ski touring skis in our shop.