5 October, 2023
Ski resort workers wear technical, branded ski clothing through the season – but what happens to it when the snow melts?
This year, some of those ski clothes have been repaired, refreshed, refurbished and are back into active usage – thanks to an environment-friendly collaboration between ski wear marketplace WhoSki.com and Alpine eco-organisation One Tree at a Time.
You’ve probably never thought about what happens to the branded ski clothing used by saisonnaire staff when the snow melts. Barely used but no longer required, corporate ski jackets, fleeces and mid-layers can end up in landfill or incineration.
By working together, WhoSki.com and One Tree at a Time are re-writing the ending to that story. Both belong to the Re-Action Collective, an international group of second handers, renters, repairers and individuals supporting and promoting the messages of re-sale, re-purpose and re-use.
A second hand success story. But just a few months ago, these clothes were leftovers - cast-offs from seasonal ski resort workers in the Alps.
Volunteers from One Tree, based in the French Alps, close to La Plagne and Courchevel, have repaired and re-branded the donated clothing, and it’s now being re-sold through WhoSki.com.
All logos have been obscured or removed, making the ski jackets, fleeces and tops – all little-used and good as new, washed and refurbished – perfect for UK buyers.
WhoSki.com, a peer-to-peer marketplace where anyone can buy and sell their good quality ski clothing, makes a donation to teenage mental health charity stem4 on every sale.
WhoSki.com co-founder Nicola Davenport says: “By working together with One Tree we are extending the life of these valuable textiles and reducing their carbon footprint. Using our joint networks, we transported every item back to the UK at zero carbon cost in vehicles that were making the journey anyway.
“Selling via WhoSki.com not only provides a wider marketplace for One Tree at a Time, it also helps promote the re-use message, highlights the issue of winter sports sustainability and makes top-quality ski clothing more affordable and accessible.
“Since the One Tree jackets went on sale at WhoSki.com, we’ve had interest from other ski businesses wanting to do similar with their own end of season branded resort wear. This is great news.”
Nicola explains: “Textiles excess is the cause of extreme environmental damage on numerous fronts. By buying second hand, you are keeping an unrecyclable item in active usage, out of landfill and reducing its and your own carbon footprint.”
WhoSki.com:
WhoSki.com is the UK’s award-winning peer-to-peer marketplace for ski and snowboard clothing, as well as all kinds of outdoor kit. We donate to charity on every sale.
Read more about the WhoSki.com / One Tree at a Time collaboration at the WhoSki.com blog. Visit the One Tree page at WhoSki.com to browse their refurbished clothing. Register for free at WhoSki.com to buy and sell pre-loved outdoor wear and equipment.
We are WhoSki.com, the UK’s award-winning peer-to-peer marketplace for buying and selling secondhand outdoor clothing and equipment
The ski and snowboard sector was the original sole focus of the WhoSki.com secondhand marketplace, but we now operate across the full range of outdoor activities. Through our website, you can buy and sell all your secondhand items relating to active outdoor pursuits.
From skiing to sailing, climbing to canoeing, hiking to horse riding, swimming to snowboarding, paddleboarding to backpacking, visit WhoSki.com for great quality, affordable, secondhand clothing and kit.
It is our goal to promote sustainability in the winter sports and outdoor activity sectors and reduce the amount of clothing and equipment that goes into landfill.
We donate 25% of our commission on every sale to the teenage mental health charity stem4.
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