Reduce Packaging!!
Can you tell me what is in this bag?
Can you tell me if you will ever use this bag again?
Would it bother you if you couldn’t recycle this bag?
Would it bother you if the bag was not made from recycled material?
Welcome to the REDUCE PACKAGING campaign!
The goal of the campaign is to have companies within the snow-sports industry ultimately reduce the amount of cardboard, plastic bags, tissue paper and paints used in packaging. Imagine the last time you purchased a new pair of bindings (or boots, or poles). You’re so excited that you just saved up your money and got this new AMAZING thing… but to get to it, you need to open a really colorful box (that you didn’t see until the shop took it out from the back room), paw through tissue paper, open a small plastic bag to get to the screws, pole baskets or laces then pull the stuffing or cardboard out of your boot or helmet and then open a plastic bag to get to the users manual. You now have a mound of packaging “stuff” next to your new AMAZING thing. So, what do you do with that mound? you either throw it out or you put it in the recycling bin (if it can be recycled).
Added Perspective
The SnowsSports Industry Association publishes sales and trending reports annually, such as the following report:
Selected Product Sales Trends at All Snow Sports Retail Shops
| Product | 09-10 Season | ||
| Adult Twin Tip Skis (Flat Skis) | 72,129 | ||
| Adult Alpine Fat (80+mm waist) | 82,787 | ||
| All Alpine Skis | 595,653 | ||
| Alpine Ski Systems | 231,545 | ||
| Snowboards | 533,151 | ||
| Randonee/AT Ski Equipment | 22,426 | ||
| Gloves | 2,830,632 | ||
| Helmets | 1,228,506 | ||
| Insulated Parkas | 1,741,573 | ||
| Winter Boots | 1,007,251 | ||
| Snowboard Apparel | 1,635,620 |
Source: SIA SnowTRAK – August 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010
So, to bring it back into focus, imagine this in the world of packaging.
| Product | 09-10 Season | Cardboard boxes/header cards used* | Plastic Bags/wrap Used* |
| Adult Twin Tip Skis (Flat Skis) | 72,129 | 72,129 (shipping) | 72,129 |
| Adult Alpine Fat (80+mm waist) | 82,787 | 82,787 (shipping) | 82,787 |
| All Alpine Skis | 595,653 | 595,653 (shipping) | 595,653 |
| Alpine Ski Systems | 231,545 | 231,545 (shipping) | 231,543 |
| Snowboards | 533,151 | 533,151 (shipping) | 1,066,302 |
| Randonee/AT Ski Equipment | 22,426 | 22,426 | |
| Gloves | 2,830,632 | 2,830,632 | 2,830,632 |
| Helmets | 1,228,506 | 1,228,506 | |
| Insulated Parkas | 1,741,573 | 1,741,573 (shipping) | |
| Winter Boots | 1,007,251 | 1,007,251 | |
| Snowboard Apparel | 1,635,620 | 1,635,620 (shipping) |
TOTAL CARDBOARD BOXES - 6,602,080 (yes, that’s million!!!)
TOTAL PLASTIC BAGS – 8,256,239 (yes, still millions!!!!)
*I do want to make clear that the above estimates for cardboard & plastic use are based on industry norms and are based on sales figures provided by the SIA SnowSports Fact Sheet. This does not take into account those companies that are making a difference by actively reducing their packaging print and those companies that use so much packaging that it weighs more then the product itself.
So, what are WE going to do about it?!
Great question. We (as in you & me and everyone else) are going to email and call the companies that we love and buy product from and tell them that we really do not need an entire mound of packaging. Below is a list of emails, addresses & phone numbers for you to use if you would like to contact manufacturers directly. If you choose not to, that’s okay. You can send Snowrider an email with your name and any comments you might have and we will add you to our list of people who want to make a change.
This list is not exhaustive of all manufacturers by any means. We just thought it would be better to focus on main manufacturers with US offices first, then go from there.
| Company | Phone # | Address | |
| Burton Snowboards | 800-881-3138 | info@burton.com | 80 Industrial Parkway, Burlington, VT 05401 USA |
| Rome Snowboards | 802-244-1758 | http://www.romesnowboards.com/syndicate/ask-the-sds/email/ | 1 Derby Lane, Waterbury, VT 05676 |
| Atomic Snowboards | 801-624-7500 | 2030 lincoln avenue, 84401 Ogden Utah, USA | |
| LibTech | 360-683-9414 | 65 Banana Way, Sequim, WA 98382 | |
| Ride Snowboards | 800-985-3398 | http://ridesnowboards.com/contact?dept=orders | 4201 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108 |
| K2 Snowboards | 800-985-2191 | http://k2snowboarding.com/contact?dept=service | 4201 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108 |
| Salomon Snowboarding | 800-225-6850 | 2030 lincoln avenue, 84401 Ogden Utah, USA | |
| Rossignol | info@rossignol.com | 1413 Center Drive, PO Box 981060 Park City, Utah 84098 USA | |
| Atomic Skis | 801-624-7500 | 2030 lincoln avenue, 84401 Ogden Utah, USA | |
| K2 Skis | 800-925-2189 | http://k2skis.com/contact?dept=service | 4201 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108 |
| Volkl | info@voelkl.de | http://www.volkl.com/ski/news_contact.php | Marker Dalbello Volklski Gmbh, Europaring 8, 94125 Straubing |
| Line | 800-987-2576 | http://lineskis.com/contact?dept=service | 4201 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108 |
| Dynastar | 1413 Center Drive, PO Box 981060 Park City, Utah 84098 USA | ||
| Lange | 1413 Center Drive, PO Box 981060 Park City, Utah 84098 USA | ||
| Full Tilt | 800-994-5605 | http://fulltiltboots.com/contact?dept=service | 4201 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108 |
Add your name to the List of People who want to make a change!
Send your name, city/state and any comments to Snowriderpnw@gmail.com and We’ll add you to the below list!
| Name | City | State | Comments |
| Stephanie Bennett | Bellingham | WA | |
How Can Companies Reduce their Packaging?
Another great question. There are many smart & efficient ways they can do this, it just make take a little creativity and extra time for them to do this.
1.) Ask companies that have best practices for help!! There are quite a few companies that are leaders in the field of packaging, such as: Nike, Brooks (yes, the running shoes) and REI (they have a packaging department!).
2.) Join the Outdoor Industry Association Eco-Working Group (OIAEWG). Over 100 companies in the outdoor industry have come together to create a tool that any company can use to help them assess their environmental impact. Guess what, there’s a section just for PACKAGING!!!
3.) For those companies that are new to the concept of reduce, reuse, recycle there are Guidelines published by the OIAEWG to help you get started. Those can be referenced here. (please note the guidelines are still in the beta testing stage)
4.) For those companies that are on their way and want to expand their knowledge and ability to reduce their packaging footprint, there are Indicators published by the OIAEWG. Those can be referenced here. (please note the guidelines are still in the beta testing stage)