Rachael (Eco Ski) - We are taking accountability for the stock we sell by providing a repairs service, so customers aren’t tempted to dispose of their hard-wearing kit just because of a broken zipper. EcoSki provides an avenue for our customers to sell or buy preloved kit to help keep it in circulation for longer. And, we offer a rental service so customers can borrow what they need when they need it.
For online orders we remove all plastic before dispatch - taking the responsibility for recycling away from the customer. Our chosen courier is DPD who are “the UK’s most sustainable delivery company”.
EcoSki only stocks brands committed to reducing their environmental and social impact. We support a number of environmental charities to help raise awareness.
Gavin (One Tree at a Time) - At The Boot Lab (shop in Courchevel, France), we’ve created our own compostable custom ski footbeds that, due to a tree planting project we’ve enlisted, are not only completely plastic-free but also carbon negative. We placed an emphasis on analysing every part of the supply line aiming for a regenerative product that puts more back into the environment than it takes out.
We’ve removed over 10,000 plastic single-use items from our supply line annually by lobbying suppliers. We did this by collecting all the waste from a season and delivering it back to the brands, believe it or not this was actually welcomed by the reps as they wanted to tackle the issues and highlight them to their bosses. We’ve also pushed for the removal of plastic bags from all ski boot boxes, something brands are testing next winter.
We’ve reduced our energy consumption by installing a smart meter and we’ve switched to a green electricity supplier that creates energy at the hydro-dam in Tignes. We’ve also created products and changed suppliers to ones with a stronger environmental message.
We’ve also formed a not-for-profit called One Tree at a Time whose focus is on tackling the environmental footprint of the ski industry. As an organisation we work with businesses and the local community to find solutions to waste and environmental impact. This has led to the opening of two stores in the Alps that repurpose ski gear and work as a community hub. We couldn’t have started these stores without the help of Planks, donating kit and shop fitting. In turn, the stores help Planks become waste-neutral. We receive their warranty stock, repair it and get it back out on the mountain.
Lauren (Surfdome) - We set ourselves the goal for our packaging to be 100% plastic free in 2019 and reached 99.8%. Our 95% of it is recycled material. We’ve worked extensively with our suppliers to remove plastic from the supply chain and any we do receive is recycled. Last year, none of the waste from our warehouse went into landfill!
In terms of energy, 90.5% of our electricity comes from renewable sources; 20% is generated from solar panel installations on the roof. This year we increased solar from 32Kw to 127Kw saving 62 tonnes of CO2 annually.
62% of water used at our warehouse is from our greywater system which is fed by rainwater. The warehouse is heated by a Biogas powered system.
Additionally, our buying policy mandates that at least 25% of our inventory must be manufactured sustainably.