Not all snow brands are created equal. Especially when it comes to sustainability.
We’ve curated six of our favourite brands and innovations from recyclable skis to revolutionary fabric.
So you can feel good about your purchases.
Dalbello’s Green Menace and Gaia ski Boots
Italian ski boot specialist, Dalbello will release the world’s most sustainable ski boot for the 2022/2023 season. The company’s green boots are made from recycled materials that make up 90 percent of their weight and 100 percent of the boot is recyclable at the end of the boot life.
You can see their sustainability in action in the new Green Menace and Gaia ski boots, made for grom kids to youth racers with one to four buckles, so you needn’t feel guilty when as your kids’ feet outgrow their boots.
Rossignol Essential world first recyclable ski
French ski brand, Rossignol, have already upped the ante with their Experience ski line using PEFC certified poplar wood for sustainable forest management and manufactured in factories using 100 percent green energy. Now they’ve gone one step further with a limited release recyclable ski for the 2022/2023 season.
The new Essential ski also boasts a poplar core alongside aluminium, steel and polyurethane that can evenly split when recycling. Purchase these skis and when ready, Rossignol will collect them and recycle them at their own facility. Your ski components will then be utilised across industries.
Patagonia everything
The most notable longtime leader in outerwear sustainability is Patagonia. The “we’re in business to save our home planet” mission is more of an action cry than corporate statement.
Every step of the production and purchase process has been thought through with care. They guarantee everything they make, 87 percent of their line is made from recycled materials, they work to an Advanced Global Traceable Down Standard, they have an active Fair Trade Certified program that works with local communities committed to a Living Wage and create products designed to be repaired to keep the life of each item long and landfill low.
Did we mention the founder of Patagonia and his family transferred their ownership of the company (and all future profits) to a non profit organisation and designated trust to combat climate change and protect the environment?
Picture Organic Clothing
French company, Picture Organic Clothing, was founded in 2008 by three childhood friends with an eco-passion for the mountains – Julien Durant, Jeremy Rochette and Vincent Andre. They’ve been championing sustainably from day one offering a drastically smaller carbon footprint per product than competitors.
Using natural and biodegradable fibres, recycled plastic bottle polyester and even sugar cane-based fabric. The crew walk their talk with an HQ 100 percent powered by low carbon energy with a green roof, veggie garden, rainwater harvesting and even a skate park for their team downtime.
Now they’re offering a second life to your outdoor gear with the Everide.app – individual to individual sales of your pre-loved Picture gear with all the security of an e-commerce site.
Aussies leading the charge at XTM Performance
Australia’s own, XTM Performance, outerwear brand was the first Aussie winter sports brand in to be certified Carbon Neutral back in 2008. The team, led by Winter Olympian Pete Forras, are committed to doing their part to keep mountain sports alive and have pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 as a member of the Snow Industry led, Climate United Pact.
They plan to be land-fill free by 2023, utilise natural fibres and renewable energy alongside compostable packaging and water repellant treatments that are 100% PFC free. Nice one.
The North Face FUTURELIGHT™️
The North Face have been providing gear for the modern-day explorer since 1966 and are committed to inspiring a global movement of exploration while supporting the preservation of the outdoors.
Their revolutionary FUTURELIGHT™️ fabric launched in 2019, their most sustainably produced fabric to date, crafted with 90% recycled materials and tested in the world’s most extreme environments. The North Face team added air permeability to a waterproof membrane, allowing air to pass through for better breathability without sacrificing both waterproofness and durability.
