This winter we're implementing two new sustainability initiatives, and we need your help!

We’ve made a lot of small changes over the years, like removing single-use coffee cups and PET plastic bottles from our food and beverage outlets, and we’ve been proud to be an industry leader in this space. But now it is time to make big changes, and we need everyone to come on this journey with us.

We've identified two areas requiring significant change from a sustainability perspective – waste and transport.

We love that you all keep challenging us to do and be better, so please keep asking us questions, and keep challenging us to improve on this sustainability journey. We've put answers to some frequently asked questions below – if you have any more please comment on our social media posts, or send us an email and we'll both answer your question and add it to the bottom of this page so others can see.

Here's the update in video format from our GM, Bridget:

1. NO LANDFILL BINS

It’s “see you later” to landfill bins at Cardrona and Treble Cone this season. From Winter 2021 onwards, there will be no public-facing landfill bins at either resort!

This winter we won't be selling any items in our food and beverage outlets that have packaging that needs to go to landfill. Our suppliers have come on board too – as an example, Cookie Time have developed a compostable cookie bag! Rubbish bins will be replaced by recycling and compost stations. We'll have signage explaining the changes and staff members on hand to help you sort through your waste.

If you need to bring single-use packaging, you will need to take that off the mountain with you – but ultimately, that doesn’t really help. We’re asking everyone to think really deeply about what you buy in the first place, the packaging it comes in, and the packaging you choose to bring up our mountains.

2. SHUTTLE BUSES AND CARPOOLING

To address transport emissions, we have made our access road shuttles (from the bottom of both mountains) free of charge for the winter season.

If you can't catch the bus, we'd love you to carpool and fill up your car! To help encourage this, we're reserving the parking spaces closest to each mountain’s Base facilities for vehicles with three occupants or more, until the carparks are filled. This only applies to those closest carparks - the others will all be able to be used by non-carpooling vehicles. Designated hitch-hiking spots will be set up at both mountains, and you can use the snowriders.nz carpooling app to organise rides with or offer seats to other skiers and snowboarders. Single parent parking and disability parking will of course still be available in those top carparks too.

Here's a map showing our carparking areas at Cardrona - just Carpark A is reserved for carpooling vehicles:

And here's the carkparking map for Treble Cone:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What happens with shuttle buses on busy days? Have you increased your capacity?

We have increased our bus capacity at each mountain, but due to us only using experienced drivers and buses suited to alpine conditions, of course our capacity is limited. On busy days, we will ask drivers who are confident driving the mountain road and are able to fill their vehicles to drive up. The new system is designed to maximise all vehicle capacity to reduce the environmental impact of mountain road usage as much as possible, while still operating in a safe and efficient manner.

• What about things for sale in the retail shop? E.g. apparel with plastic tags, stickers etc

We have been working hard with our suppliers to reduce and ultimately eliminate packaging from all of our retail products. For any items that we sell in the retail shops, we will remove the packaging and deal with it for you before you leave the shop. Many of our tags and packaging are reused.

• What about nappies / sanitary products?

There are a number of places where removing the landfill bin is just not practical, safe or appropriate. Medical waste, nappies, sanitary product bins etc. will all be in place for people to use. Our aim is to reduce our landfill waste, and removing bins from public areas will be a huge help here, and over time we will keep working hard to get to zero waste.

• What about tissues?

These we will collect along with compostable packaging, and combine with organic waste and turn into compost.

• What will happen if someone leaves rubbish/litters?

Just like at a DoC site, we are asking people to remove their own rubbish and not just dump it. Like we always do, we will sweep the resorts regularly to pick up any dropped litter. We know that people care deeply for the environment and are fundamentally tidy Kiwis, so will take their rubbish home with them.

• What can we put our lunch in if not glad wrap etc

Reusable Tupperware and/or beeswax wraps are awesome options!

• What if I/my kids have special dietary requirements that mean we can only use single-use packaging?

If you need our help we will gladly help in special circumstances, we aren’t going to leave people stuck!

• How long are you going to do this for?

This is a permanent removal of landfill bins from Cardrona and TC.

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