WORKING FOR
CLEANER MOUNTAINS

Raising awareness

The Summit Foundation's activities aim to promote a change in sustainable behaviour among the general public, with a particular focus on raising awareness of environmental issues.

LES BULLES DE BD: OUR MAIN LITTER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

For more than 10 years, we've been putting up awareness panels in the form of cartoon bubbles for the general public. This visual format has proved particularly effective in reducing the amount of rubbish dumped in ski resorts, in summer and winter alike.

Summit Foundation launches a new campaign for the period 2022-2026

This new prevention campaign has a number of objectives:

Raising public awareness of the problem of littering in the mountains
Reduce waste dumped in the countryside
- Proposing solutions to improve the situation in the Alps
Raising awareness of the 4 seasons, not just winter sports fans

The messages are all based on proven and verified information, available from the sources below. This web page also aims to present solutions to reduce the problem of abandoned waste in the mountains.
Thanks to our long-standing relationships, ski-lift companies are offering us prime locations to broadcast this awareness-raising campaign free of charge. Present in more than 50 resorts in Switzerland and neighbouring France, with more than 750 visuals displayed, this campaign reaches several million people every year.

Watch out for PFAS in waxes!

Many cross-country and downhill skiers are unaware that wax releases toxic chemicals into the environment.

Fluorinated waxes, more precisely, release 'eternal pollutants' into the snow! Thanks to their surface-active properties, the PFAS present in these products improve the glide between the ski and the snow surface, which explains their widespread use in winter sports, from cross-country and downhill skiing to snowboarding.

Unfortunately, these particles are dispersed into the environment by abrasion, and then accumulate in the soil and water when the snow melts. This accumulation of PFAS poses a serious threat to the environment, ecosystems and human health.

Faced with these dangers, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has banned the use of fluorinated waxes in 2023. However, a recent study reveals that PFAS levels remain high in the snow at ski resorts, underlining the urgent need to continue efforts to limit their impact.

Summit Foundation invites you to ask your sports shops about the composition of their products. And if you wax your skis yourself, choose a PFAS-free wax and always wear a mask to avoid inhaling harmful particles.

SOLUTIONS

There are many simple solutions to reduce or even eliminate the problem of littering. Here are just a few examples.

Plastic
Reduce the use of plastic packaging as much as possible and ensure that it is disposed of properly.

When you go to the mountains, take a rucksack with you so that you can bring your rubbish back and dispose of it properly. Choose plastic-free solutions for your picnics, such as lunchboxes, and opt for a reusable water bottle for your drinks.

If you eat in a high-altitude restaurant, encourage it to eliminate single-use plastics, such as individual portions of cream, ketchup and mayonnaise. Also suggest using reusable rather than disposable crockery.

Cigarette butts
Although the best solution is not to smoke, here are a few tips to prevent cigarette butts from polluting the environment:

 - Dispose of your cigarette butts directly in the bins or ashtrays available in mountain resorts, ski lifts and mountain restaurants.
 - Use a portable ashtray, such as the Ecobox from the Summit Foundation.
 - Keep your cigarette butts with you and dispose of them in a rubbish bin once you've finished your hike or mountain activity.

Loss of objects
To avoid losing objects, remember to close your pockets and avoid taking out your phone or wallet when you're on a chairlift. Unfortunately, when the snow melts, many abandoned valuables are found in the wild, also contributing to environmental pollution.

Collecting rubbish
Don't hesitate to pick up any rubbish abandoned in nature; the mountain will be grateful to you. To make this easier, take a small bag with you so that you don't soil your belongings.

We also invite you to take part in the Clean-Up Tour, our national litter-picking tour of Switzerland, organised every spring and summer. Find out more about the tour, click here.



The campaign is supported by

                         Nidecker Logo Vector Download - (.SVG + .PNG) - Logovectordl.Com    
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