Earth Day has been around for a whopping 52 years now and everyone’s help is needed to facilitate change as the planet continues to warm. This year's theme is "Invest in Our Planet", and according to the Earth Day website it's "because this is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods… together, we must Invest In Our Planet." We’re highlighting some eco-friendly brands we carry at Mountain Shop so you can learn what these companies are doing to reduce their impact on the environment.
One brand we’re excited about is WNDR Alpine. They’re a Utah-based ski (& snowboards in 2023) manufacturer who are now a B Corporation. I can see your perplexedness from here as you ask, “What is a B Corporation?” It’s a business that voluntarily meets the highest standards in social and environmental responsibility and transparency. The actual definition provided by B Lab is: “Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.”
There is a rigorous certification process in which a third party conducts a thorough assessment of the company’s impacts on stakeholders and have the results verified by B Lab, which is the nonprofit in charge of the B Corp certification. B Lab audits each aspect of a business’s operation: mission, degree of transparency & engagement with employees and community, supply chain, and how it manages its environmental impacts. Traditional corporations only prioritize financial profitability, whereas B Corps use their power to address environmental and social problems. B Corps don’t just say they’re a good business or socially responsible, they walk the walk instead of merely talking the talk, and they’re committed to using their business as a force for good. They want to have business be a part of the solution, instead of a part of the problem.
Not only is WNDR Alpine a B Corp, but they’re also revolutionizing how skis are manufactured. They’re utilizing biotechnology to replace petroleum-based resins used in skis with AlgalTech™. The core and sidewall contain a bio based high density polyurethane which delivers superior damping compared to traditional materials. They source all their materials locally and the microalgae is grown in a lab in Alameda, CA before getting sent to Salt Lake City where the skis are manufactured. WNDR is so passionate about their new technology that they keep costs low. This reduces their overall profit, but their skis are sold at a competitive price so they can inform more people about the wonders of AlgalTech™! WNDR is one of the few companies not using shrink wrap to package skis for shipping. Single use plastics are wasteful and detrimental to the environment, so WNDR instead uses a minimal amount of cardboard and tape to keep a pair of skis together. They even take it a step further and reuse castoff materials from the ski manufacturing process, pressing them into a mold to create a display to hold skis in storefronts. We have one here at Mountain Shop, come check it out to see their ingenuity firsthand!
MountainFLOW eco-wax was founded in 2016 after the founders realized how toxic traditional ski wax is for the environment and for ski techs who apply wax over and over. Most waxes are made from petroleum, but mountainFLOW’s is made from plants and contains 0% petroleum! They are a B Corporation as well, so they practice what they preach and their products are USDA certified biobased. They have regular ski wax for a range of temperatures and they recently came out with a race wax that performs just as well as any non-fluoro wax available. Not only is mountainFLOW’s product eco-friendly, so is their packaging. Wax comes in biodegradable, 100% recycled material clamshells. Along with ski wax, mountainFLOW’s product range also includes bike lube, grease and wash, further proving that eco-based products perform as well as petroleum-based options. We sell eco-wax and use it for all ski waxes in the shop, we like it-and the environment-that much!
Jeremy Jones has been an icon in snowboarding for decades. He’s used his power for good with creating Jones Snowboards, focusing on “Designing innovative mountain gear that sets new performance standards and being a leader in manufacturing sustainability, environmental outreach and backcountry education.” Jones publishes their sustainability report for anyone to read, and is working on public environmental outreach campaigns using social media to connect with consumers. They work hard to balance performance, durability, and sustainability, with these three pillars laying the foundation for all the products they create and manufacture. Jones is constantly growing in innovative ways to reduce their environmental footprint: optimize packaging to reduce waste, basalt fiber stringers instead of carbon stringers, eliminating solvent varnish, making topsheets with castor beans, and using recycled steel for the metal edges. Jones is a member of 1% For The Planet, so every t-shirt, jacket, and pair of pants they sell gives back to help protect clean air and water, and a healthy planet!
Now that you’re educated about a few cool companies making an impact, here’s your time to shine! Obviously individuals make a much smaller footprint than big corporations, so the best way to help Earth is to use your voice and lobby against those corporations who are polluting the planet at a much higher rate than individuals.
Other, smaller ways you can help include
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Eating local and seasonal food
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Reducing meat consumption (my family started Meatless Mondays to ease into things)
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Use reusable shopping bags
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Buy clothes secondhand or responsibly made
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Combine errands to limit driving and bike whenever possible
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Take shorter or less frequent showers
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Turn off the water while brushing teeth and washing dishes
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Lower your thermostat by 1 degree
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Unplug electronics when not in use to save energy
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Recycle as much as possible to reduce waste
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Grab the kids, don some gloves and trash bags and do a neighborhood cleanup