While Volkl are far from having a transparent supply chain and may have lost a few customers when they discreetly swapped factories from Austria to China which may or may not have affected the quality  of their skis… and then just as discreetly moved back to Austria… Volkl have arguably done more for the environment than many other ski companies out there.

They have won an ISPO Eco Responsibility award three times, for different ski models that have all been made with the planet in mind. Their most recent one, in 2011, was for an eco-friendly rental ski, made from entirely recycled or renewable materials;  the NAWARO RENT skis are made with linen, flax fibres and recycled steel, as well as having minimal colouring to avoid using more materials than is absolutely necessary.

Since then, Volkl have also cut down on unnecessary packaging and have reduced the number of  clothes hangers they use by 80,000 and have cut down on cardboard packaging by 30%. Their most recent success was being the first ski manufacturer to gain an ISO 50001 certification for the energy management system in their Austrian factory, which runs off a closed circuit water recycling system. In turn, this qualification meant that they were awarded and Ecoride Silver Award for their conservation efforts.

Read all about it HERE.