MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Fall / Winter 2017

FALL/WINTER 2017 MLCM 39 Pemberton: Where your roots have room to grow. It’s no secret that I love Pemberton. Born and raised here, I know the valley and the people and I truly enjoy sharing my love of Pemberton with others. Whether you’re buying or selling, put my over 13 years of real estate experience and lifetime of local knowledge to work for you. I am happy to help and just a phone call away. 604 698 5128 or email [email protected] REAL ESTATE PEMBERTON .COM TOLL FREE 1.877 242 2448 EXT .333 larger questions. “Who should be held accountable for the effects of climate change? Do consumers have a role to play? Should companies be required by law to develop new products with a cradle-to-cradle approach?” The good news is, some outdoor companies already are. Long known for their efforts to reduce planetary harm and inspire environmental solutions, Patagonia introduced a Worn Wear program to buy back used Patagonia gear, clean it up and pass it along, keeping it out of landfills. Originating in 2012 at various brick and mortar locations across the US, the Worn Wear concept expanded into an online store earlier this year. Patagonia also offers repair tips and videos on their website and operates a repair facility in Reno that fixes or recycles gear too damaged for Worn Wear upcycling. Surefoot, the world’s largest supplier of custom ski boots, is tackling their waste issues in a different way. Their retail locations replace thousands of used boot liners each winter and, rather than send them to the landfill (each foam/ plastic liner would take over 1,000 years to biodegrade naturally), the company got creative. Teaming with an upcycling/salvaging company called SAVEarth, Surefoot adds an affordable rubber outer shell to create a warm, waterproof boot they then ship to underdeveloped, cold weather countries like Nepal and Mongolia. It’s win-win. Even closer to home, Whistler Blackcomb’s environmental track record recently inspired new owner, Vail Resorts to make an “Epic Promise” for a zero footprint by 2030. “The environment is our business, and we have a special obligation to protect it,” says Vail Resorts CEO, Rob Katz, in a press release. Part of the Epic Promise is for every Vail Resort to hit a 100 per cent waste diversion rate by 2030 and a 50 per cent benchmark by 2020. The initiative couldn’t come at a better time, according to Kruse. “In nature, there is no waste,” she says. “It’s a closed loop. And the economy we humans have invented is anything but. The next economic revolution will come from us emulating nature’s time-tested strategies, and seeing these large companies acknowledging the problem is a huge step in the right direction.” Kruse says we shouldn’t wait for corporations to save us however, it’s time for everyone to think about upcycling their used gear. “If you have old gear you’ve been holding on to, give me a call,” she says. And if you want to start upcycling yourself, who couldn’t use a fresh shotski this winter? skiheaven.ca / patagonia.com / epicpromise.com Waterproof winter boots look better on these Mongolian children than they would in a landfill. COURTESY SUREFOOT/SAVEARTH