What happens to ski boots that have reached the end of their useful life? They end up in landfill. If they are not recycled, they live on there. And on again. In fact, they will still be there when the grandchildren of our great-grandchildren have long since abdicated.
When indestructibility becomes an environmental burden
Depending on the type of plastic and the environmental conditions, it can take several hundred years to degrade. This also applies to ski boots, which consist of over 120 components. Once they have been discarded for the next better model after a few years of use, the longest part of their life begins - whereby complete disintegration basically never occurs. Even at the end of the degradation process, as with all plastic products, so-called microplastics remain. And this is becoming a growing challenge for people and nature.
An industry faces up to its responsibility
Ein nicht hinnehmbarer Zustand für eine Sparte wie die Skibranche, deren höchstes Gut eine intakte Natur ist und die das schützen will, was sie liebt. Immer mehr Sportartikelhersteller rufen daher Recyclingprogramme ins Leben und entwickeln nachhaltige Alternativen und Maßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Lebensdauer. Ein Unternehmen, das sich dem Thema im Skischuh-Bereich angenommen hat, ist die italienische Tecnica Group. Die schenkt deinen alten Skischuhen mit ihren Partnern Fecam und Laprima Plastics im 2021 gestarteten Projekt „Recycle Your Boots“ ein neues Leben. Wie das gelingt? Indem gebrauchte Skischuhe in Sekundärrohstoffe recycelt werden. Partnerbetriebe aus zehn europäischen Ländern nehmen bereits an dem Projekt teil.
The benefits of recycling and how you can get involved
The circular economy project aims to help reduce CO2 emissions, conserve natural resources through the secondary raw materials obtained and protect the planet. You can take part by bringing your old pair to one of the participating SPORT 2000 retailers - such as Sportfex, SPORT 2000 Simon, SPORT 2000 Herzog and many more. There is a discount on the purchase of a new pair of Tecnica ski boots. Be part of the change!
Here you can specify used ski boots: ► Recycle your Ski Boots
- The old ski boots are transported to a collection center in Italy in low-emission vehicles.
- The ski boot is dismantled into its components.
- The plastic and metal parts are separated from each other and taken to the processing center.
- The components are pre-sorted, separated, shredded and then washed.
- Metals are sorted into ferrous and non-ferrous materials, plastics into polyurethane and polypropylene.
- The result of the recycling process: plastic granulate and aluminum serve as raw materials for new products.
New life: the metamorphosis of your ski boot
What happens to the recycled ski boots? The PP granulate is used, for example, to make new office chairs, garden furniture, floor coverings and transport containers or finds a new purpose as an impact mat for snow cannons. Recovered metals can also be processed into buckles for ski boots, bicycle frames, components, drinks cans, etc. The recycled granulate can also be used for the boot boards inside ski boots.
The Tecnica Group's innovation team is already working on implementing the secondary raw material in new products and ski and ski boot components and wants to open up the project to other product types and brands - even outside the ski boot industry.