Earth Day 2022
Happy Earth Day from everyone at DPS Skis. We’re passionate about respecting the mountains and the environment, which is why a focus on sustainability has been a large part of our brand since the beginning. As we celebrate Mother Earth today and everyday, we’d like to highlight some of our recent sustainability efforts.
Accountability
In the summer of 2021, we joined SIA’s Climate United Pact. This is an accountability pledge that SIA created to unite like-minded winter outdoor industry companies around meaningful climate action. We’re honored to be a part of this pact and to be aligned with other organizations that share our environmental vision.
Packaging
In the fall of 2021, we began using 45% bio-based Cortec® EcoShrink™ to wrap our finished skis. Rather than the typical plastic sleeves used to wrap skis, this wrap can be composted in a commercial facility, helping to reduce waste with each pair of skis produced.
We also replaced our plastic shipping bags with 100% recycled paper shipping bags for shipping softgoods.
Ski Production
We have continued to make updates on the sustainable construction of our skis. This includes ongoing engineering collaboration to introduce 63% bio-content Checkerspot Algal-based sidewall material and castor oil based top sheets. We have also made continuous improvements in the durability of our skis so they last longer. With aluminum tailbars, improved topsheet bonding, stronger cores, and delamination resistance, our skis are designed to last for multiple seasons and reduce the need to buy new skis each year.
Factory
We have worked hard to reduce material waste in our factory. By taking ownership of our raw materials and the ways they are used, we are able to achieve higher yield on those raw materials and adapt our processes when necessary. This includes adjustments in all steps of the ski production process, including finger jointing our wood cores in order to obtain more usable pieces and reduce scrap.
What’s Next?
In addition to these achievements, here’s what we’re focusing on next to implement more sustainable practices in our factory and throughout our business.
We’ve measured the emissions of our products and businesses, and are using this data to take accountability for our impacts. We are in the process of developing a sustainability action plan for our business that will guide our approach to policy, emissions reductions, and communications. This will help us to treat sustainability as a top tier product development criteria.
We will continue to develop ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle material waste from our factory.
To read more about our ongoing sustainability projects, check out the Sustainability page on our website. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@dpsskis.com.