Eco-Friendly Ski and Snowboard Wax
Image: Disobey Art, Adobe Stock
Like surf wax, traditional ski and snowboard wax tends to be problematic for the environment. Paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum, which is hard on the environment in a number of ways, including by releasing dangerous levels of carbon emissions and polluting marine environments. Paraffin wax specifically has been found on beaches worldwide and in the digestive systems of marine wildlife.
If that wasn’t enough, ski wax is also known for containing perfluorocarbons, or PFCs, which while making skis super speedy, have been found to be so detrimental to the environment and human health that they have been banned from ski racing. PFCs have been found in drinking water and in the bodies of both wildlife and humans.
If you’re spending your free time riding in the mountains, chances are you’re interested in protecting them, too. These three companies are making ski and snowboard waxes that are biodegradable, PFC and paraffin-free, and made from natural materials, like plants.
mountainFLOW Eco-Wax
Perhaps best known for their appearance on Shark Tank, mountainFLOW eco-wax offers several ski and board wax options (hot wax, quick wax, skin wax) that are biodegradable, made with 100 percent plant-based materials and without petroleum products. This company was founded with a mission to create an eco-friendly ski and board wax that performs.
Matunas Organic Ski Wax & Snowboard Wax
Matunas is a company, known for their surf wax, that creates wax on with products from their 25 acre farm in Santa Cruz, California. Their wax is non-toxic, biodegradable and made with ingredients from California. Matunas has considered sustainability down to every detail with wrappers are printed with recycled ink on 100 percent recycled paper. If you’ve gotten all this way and are wondering why we’re telling you about surf wax in an article about ski wax, well they make a super-natural ski and board wax, too.
One Eco-Leaf Wax
One Mfg offers an Eco Leaf all temperature ski and board wax made out of natural materials like soy, coconut and bees wax. It can be used for hot wax or as a rub-on wax.
Keep in mind that anything that you put on your skis or board touches snow (a water source!). Ideally, your wax is natural and biodegradable in order to avoid immediately leeching dangerous chemicals into the environment. While solving the immense issues that are causing environmental degradation and climate change are much more complicated than your ski and snowboard gear choices, making small changes (and telling your friends about them!) do add up.
