The foundation's 20th anniversary is an opportunity to look back and (re-)discover projects carried out over the past 20 years.
Just a few days after the official creation of the Foundation on 6 January 2001, a grass-covered cabin appeared in a ski resort to raise visitors' awareness of the environmental impact of events and winter sports.
This cabin was present at the Champs Open in Leysin and at the Xtreme in Verbier, an event with which the foundation is still collaborating 20 years later.
In 2002, in Verbier, the Summit Foundation launched its first mountain awareness campaign on the lifespan of waste in nature.
This campaign will have been visible for around ten years in over 60 ski resorts across the country.
Launch in 2002 of the Ecobox, the sustainable pocket bin that provides a practical solution to littering. Very popular with local authorities and events as part of their waste prevention initiatives, the Ecobox can be fully customised and allows small items of waste, such as cigarette butts, to be kept on one's person.
More than 2 million Ecoboxes have been produced and distributed since 2002.
In 2003, the Summit Foundation launched a nationwide tour of sporting and cultural events. The Ecotour stopped off at dozens of events, such as this one at the Paléo Festival in Nyon.
The Ecotour made it possible to forge close links with event organisers. Partnerships still exist with some of them today, and the Foundation supports them in their environmental management and/or the implementation of measures. Summit Foundation is a member of the Paléo Festival's Environmental Commission.
In 2004, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) commissioned the Foundation to promote the use of washable glasses at events in French-speaking Switzerland.
In 2008, Summit Foundation launched its own glass and supplied dozens of events with cups. Today, washable glasses are an essential part of every event.
Summit Foundation is developing a system for sorting waste by "stacking" containers on top of each other. The aim is to save floor space and make the bins more visible in crowds.
Initially produced under the name "Ecopoint", the units were renamed "sorting columns" as towns adopted the term "Ecopoint" to designate neighbourhood collection points. Today, dozens of towns and businesses are equipped with sorting columns.
In 2008, the Foundation adapted the "Eco Guide to Mountain Resorts" for Switzerland, in partnership with the French association Mountain Riders.
The guide lists all the measures taken by mountain destinations (tourist offices, ski lift companies and local authorities) to protect the environment. The aim is to bring together best practice and share it more widely.
Summit Foundation is launching the EcoFranc to finance the development of environmental initiatives at the Comptoir gruérien.
This contribution of CHF 1.00, included in the admission ticket, makes it possible to implement real solutions and develop an environmental strategy, while supporting the Foundation's projects. The concept has since been adopted by a number of partners.
In 2009, the Foundation launched the first National Mountain Waste Collection Operation.
To give new impetus to the collection days that have already been organised for over 8 years, Summit Foundation has decided to promote this type of operation more widely on the ski slopes for a whole week. A Collection Guide, a poster and other press releases are available free of charge to organisers.
In 2019, Opération Nationale de Ramassage has become the Clean-Up Tour. To find out more, visit www.cleanuptour.ch.
The aim of the "Operation Zero Butts" campaign is to raise public awareness of the problem of discarded cigarette butts. The posters feature three main messages and are displayed in ski resorts in winter and at summer events.
Acting as a consultant on the regional development plan for the Imlil valley, Toubkal National Park in Morocco, and launching various environmental projects, including cleaning up the landfill, setting up a household waste management system, collection campaigns on the ascent of Mount Toubkal, awareness-raising campaigns, etc.
In 2012, a new awareness campaign was launched in ski resorts, with the aim of renewing the existing network and bringing a fresh approach to raising awareness of littering.
In 2013, the Foundation became a beneficiary of the Ride 4 the cause charity event, which benefits educational and environmental initiatives in Switzerland and Peru.
The adventure continues until 2018, the 10th and final edition of Ride for the Cause.
Find out more: www.r4tc.org
Stand-up paddling is in its infancy, and boards are expensive. As part of its presence at Ride for the Cause, Summit Foundation is inviting visitors to help make the first paddle board from PET bottles. AND it works!
Discover the board on video.
In July 2014, Summit Foundation supported the Montreux Jazz Festival in its environmental management. To limit waste on the ground and in the lake during the event, the foundation is creating a campaign in the form of comic book bubbles.
"Don't Smoke On The Water" was born, a tribute in our own way to Deep Purple's legendary song describing the fire at the Montreux Casino.
The campaign was so successful that it was repeated the following winter and extended to the mountains.
The Summit Foundation has been helping events with their environmental management since its creation. One site is a benchmark in this field: www.manifestation-verte.ch.
In 2014, the Foundation joined the group of experts steering the project under the auspices of the Confederation and the cantons. It is working on the website's content and promoting it in French-speaking Switzerland.
The platform is currently supported by the CCE (Conference of Heads of Environmental Protection Services), Swiss Olympic, Federal Offices (FOEN, OFSPO, ARE), Suisse Energie, cantons and towns across the country.
Cartoon bubbles are appearing on ski slopes in Switzerland and neighbouring France. Visible in some 80 destinations, the #EnjoyAndRespect campaign "gives the environment a voice".
Simple information and figures inform users, without moralizing or making them feel guilty.
In 2015, at the instigation of one of its volunteers, Jessica Peterson, the Summit Foundation launched the "Summit Cleaners", a movement of volunteer litter pickers.
A collection kit has been created and can be ordered online, including gloves, a waste bag made from recycled paraglider fabric and an Ecobox. The kit is designed to accompany hikers on mountain walks to collect any rubbish they come across. It's a practical way to help protect the environment and support the Foundation's projects!
More info: summit-foundation.org/summit-cleaners
Mission Dahu is an educational game designed to raise awareness of the environmental impact of winter mountain sports and leisure activities. Simple and fun, it is aimed at teachers and other educational professionals who supervise children aged 10 to 12.
Developed in partnership by the Summit Foundation and ECHO impulsion, the teaching kit (paper format) and the App can be downloaded free of charge. The game can be used during a week at camp, a snow outing or during ski lessons.
Find out more: www.mission.dahu.ch
To mark the Foundation's 15th anniversary, Summit Foundation has created TimeAlps, a participatory photography project designed to showcase the beauty of mountain landscapes. The project was created in collaboration with the Festival Images and Montreux-Vevey Tourisme.
Visitors to Vevey are invited to use their smartphones to take photos of the Alps from the quayside. The images are then digitally stitched together to create a collective panorama.
Visit the project in video.
In spring 2016, the foundation launched a "voting ashtray". The concept: smokers are invited to vote between two proposals with their cigarette butts. The aim of this fun wall-mounted ashtray is to reduce the number of cigarette ends thrown on the ground.
Festivals, NGOs, businesses and local authorities soon began to show an interest in this solution. To find out more, click here: www.summit-foundation.org/cendrier-de-vote
Summit Foundation is supporting the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) in the creation of the "Clean Mountains" programme, with 3 main focuses:
The Clean Mountains campaign has evolved every year since then, notably with the creation in 2020 of a series of posters to limit litter in the mountains.
Find out more: www.summit-foundation.org/cleanmountains
To mark the 2018 Montreux Jazz Festival, Summit Foundation is creating a campaign to limit litter on the ground and in the lake in particular.
Frames of paintings are set up along the quay and a label bearing the hashtag #natureisamasterpieceThe "Nature is a masterpiece" campaign invites people to take photos and share them on social networks. The aim is to raise visitors' awareness of the immediate proximity of the lake, a natural area that needs to be protected.