Article on Green Wax

Making the Ski Industry a Little More Green

By Alexis Overbye - Skiing Business

Founded in 2007, Green Wax was created by Ken Avery, an avid elite-level mountain biker who started snowboarding as a form cross training.  Combining his passion for snow sports with his love of the environment, Avery created Green Wax as an alternative to many chemical-ridden waxes on the market.

Skiing Business caught up with Avery to get the latest scoop on his all-natural wax.

What makes Green Wax different from other waxes?

There are no PFC’s or petroleum, which is a big difference.  Green Wax is a universal wax, and most universal waxes work really well in temperatures between 10 degrees and 20 degrees, but our wax works well in all conditions.  It is also very durable. We made it as hard as we could, but you can still rub it on. Because it is so durable, some shops say end up using less wax, which saves them money.

How did you come up with the idea?

I’ve been a snowboarder and mountain biker for 20 years, and I love being in the mountains. I wanted to create something that would make a difference, but I had three main criteria: it had to be environmentally friendly, have the ability to be made in the U.S., and I wanted it to be related to a mountain sport.  I thought about ski wax, but regular wax is petroleum based with PFC’s (perflurocarbons), all things that affect nature. I wanted to make something without PFC’s or petroleum, but it had to be compatible with the industry’s existing machinery.

Your wax is PFC free. Tell me more about that.

Fluorocarbons and petroleum are added to create lubricity, and are generally the cheapest on the market, but we pretty much reverse engineered it.  We didn’t care as much about cost at first. We started by finding slippery ingredients and used those ingredients to create a wax. But I can’t tell you what’s in it.

Why make a “green” wax when the industry, as a whole, isn’t very green?

Someone needs to. I love skiing and snowboarding and it seems silly that you could love something so much, but, at the same time, cause so much damage. Most mountains have a pond at the bottom of the hill that is used to make their snow, and every spring the pond is filled again by the run off. Most chemicals that have been left on the mountain, flow into the pond and are put back onto the mountain the next year. It’s a cycle of harmful chemicals. We want to help eliminate that.

How are you distributing your product?

We are attacking it from a few different points.  Montana makes high-end tuning machines, and its headquarters is here in New England.  They have a huge distributorship and wanted to be the first to distribute it. They are the main reason we have gotten the number of dealers and resorts that we have.

Between shops and resorts we felt we had a pretty good base, but we really wanted to hit up the junior riders. These kids are part of a movement, and they are definitely the future of the sport.  They are helping to spread the word and show people that Green Wax is a great product.  

Where is it being sold?

Everybody from the small ski shops to big resorts and everything in between. As people hear about it, they ask if it works, and then they use it and want it. It’s green and it works and the price works too.

Who is your target market?

A mix of everyone. If you like sliding down snow you will need wax.  Targeting just one demographic would be tough. Our biggest concern is that we need dealers to believe in a “green wax.” Other companies have made soy waxes, but they aren’t solving the problem. Ours is soy free because soy is slow, so that’s a big differentiator.

How does your wax work in the different arenas of snowsports?

We only have one formula. We don’t have the different formulas because we haven’t found a need for it.  Probably 99.9 percent of people using Green Wax are getting what they want out of it.

Does Green Wax cost more than other waxes on the market?

It is absolutely more expensive.  The ingredients and manufacturing it in the U.S. inherently make it cost more because domestic labor costs more.  We have found a way to make less margin, but get the product out there for the good of the industry and the planet.  The wax originally cost a lot more when we first launched, but since then we have been able to partner with ingredient companies that have helped the price go down quite a bit.

Your Ski and Snowboard Wax Could Be Seriously Harmful to You and the Environment

Interesting Article by Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer, NaturallySavvy.com on 01.28.11 TRAVEL & NATURE (sports gear) 

We're in the thick of ski and snowboard season, and if you've been hitting the slopes a lot, you've probably had to wax your skis or board at least once. But have you thought about the hazards of the chemicals in your ski wax?

Many high-performance ski waxes used by the pros contain high amounts of perfluorochemicals, or PFCs, and cheaper products used by avid recreational skiers often contain PFCs in lower concentrations. These are the chemicals used in non-stick cookware that have been linked to a number of health issues. While more research is needed, when it comes to our friends who ski a lot, we prefer to take the "better safe than sorry" approach to chemical risk.

The Bad News

PFCs have understandably come under fire for being a potentially serious health concern. One study showed PFCs altered the liver and spleen of rabbits, as well as other less severe changes in the lung and kidney, and found that the PFC particles were retained in vital organs.

Another study involving pregnant rats and mice found PFCs were toxic to the mother, and that the offspring showed developmental problems, including birth defects such as heart defects and swelling of the skin.

It should be noted that in 2006 the EPA concluded that more research is needed before any conclusions can be made about the risks of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a specific type of PFC. However, the EPA Web page on PFOA also states that the chemical "is very persistent in the environment" and "remains in people for a very long time."

PFC Hits Your Blood

Two studies out of Sweden have shown that ski technicians are at risk of highly elevated PFC levels in their blood, and that is cause for concern.

The first study tested perfluorocarboxylate (PFCA) blood levels in eight ski wax technicians before, during, and after the 2007/2008 ski season, and researchers found that the median blood level for PFOA was almost 45 times that of the general population (112 ng/mL compared to 2.5 ng/mL). What's more, it appears that there is a correlation between the levels of perfluorocarboxylates in the blood and the number of years working as a ski wax technician.

A follow-up study examining chemicals in the air of the breathing zone of ski wax technicians found that fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH) - which are a type of PFC that degrade and form PFOA - were 800 times the levels of airborne PFOA. This suggests that biotransformation of FTOH results in internal exposure of PFOA.

While PFCs may pose a risk to human health, they also threaten wildlife. PFCs have been found in the blood of fish, bald eagles and mink, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

How? Because PFCs are very stable, they don't break down in soil, sediment or groundwater, so any PFC entering the environment will stick around for a long time. That means that any PFC from ski wax that is transferred to the snow surface will probably end up in soil and water sources. Bad news for animals.

The Good News

While PFC-containing ski waxes are coming under fire, there is a silver lining: It might just help raise the profile of PFC-free ski waxes.

Because most companies that produce PFC-free waxes are environmentally conscious, a lot of these products are also petroleum-free and 100 percent natural. We love how green they are - especially when you consider they are in direct contact with nature.

Greenwax is perhaps the most recognizable PFC-free brand. With the tag line "Shred Lightly," Greenwax is embracing ski and eco culture, and their product is about as green as it gets: PFC- and petroleum-free, made with natural ingredients, completely biodegradable, and the packaging is recyclable.

The company's "Team Riders" are ambassadors for the brand, and they include: skiers Mathieu Hulliger and Tyler Snover, and snowboarders Hagen Kearney, Grant Bowen, Kiersten Edwards, and Benji Farrow, who placed fourth in the Half Pipe event at the recent Burton European Open, a World Snowboarding Tour event.

There are lots of other quality eco-friendly waxes out there: Purl waxes, Beaverwaxproducts, Ethica Enviro-Wax and Hillbilly Snowboard Wax by Hillbilly Wax-Works, andEnviro Mountain Sports waxes are just a few of many.

So whether you're a pro, semi-pro, or just an avid skier or boarder who spends every waking moment of winter on the mountain, it's never been a better time to choose eco-friendly ski waxes.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/your-ski-and-snowboard-wax-could-be-seriously-harmful-to-you-wildlife.php

Green Wax Base Cleaner

Green Wax just came out with a Base Cleaner 100% CFC/HCFC-free Base Cleaner for skis and snowboards! With zero O-zone inhibitors, it offers a nice alternative to the acetone or mineral spirits you've been inhaling. No citrus, just a proprietary mix that is available in either Gallon jugs or Spray Bottles. This product is only available for wholesale customers at this time.

greenskiwax.com

Berkshire East Installs Wind Turbine and Goes 100% Green Wax

It's been a big week for Berkshire East and Green Wax.  

On Sunday, Berkshire East raised a 900kw wind turbine, that will produce 100% of our electricity for the ski area.

Monday, Green Wax got the call from Resort Owner, Jon Schaefer pledging his support by switching 100% to Green Wax;    

"By exclusively utilizing Green Wax in our tuning shop and rental shop, Berkshire East is making a real commitment to our local environment. We have understood for a long time that ski wax was one of the industry's 'dirty little secrets' but now Green Wax gives us the opportunity to make a real difference."

"Making the decision to use Green Wax was easy; when comparing three comparable products, in terms of cost and performance, and only one is 100% sustainably produced and more importantly 100% biodegradable, Berkshire East will choose Green Wax 100% of the time."

  

In addition to their recent investment of 3 new fuel efficient groomers, which utilize the most efficient snow making technology available, they heat all of their buildings with the wood cut on-site, have increased lighting efficiency by about half in the past 7 years, and are planning a 1 megawatt solar installation to be completed by next summer.

www.berkshireeast.com

www.greenskiwax.com

Green Wax

Our first post on Snowboard Green covered Green Wax, a company operating in a truly sustainable fashion creating an environmentally conscious product. We thought we should revisit this product as they launched a new website and using Green Wax is probably the easiest and cheapest way a snowboarder can reduce his or her impact on the natural environment. Green Wax is a true universal performance wax made from all natural ingredients. To make a wax that is green, Green Wax had to do a few things differently than the traditional companies. Traditional waxes contain perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and petroleum. PFCs are extremely potent greenhouse gases, with a lifetime up to 50,000 years. A production derivative of PFCs is a chemical known asperfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to lower birth weight in people and animals, liver damage, as well as cancer. These chemical residuals then get left behind on the mountain, combine with runoff water, and penetrate into our waterways. When produced, these waxes are made in large quantities, and extruded with complex machines. This uses excess energy, and creates additional waste. Our wax is made from all natural ingredients containing no PFCs or petroleum. We produce it in small batches to ensure quality and consistency. Each batch is then hand poured directly into our recycled packaging, eliminating the need for molds or extrusion machines. The all-natural mix is formulated to provide pro-level glide, maximum adhesion, and ease of application. When combined, these efforts ensure a clean ride now, and for future generations of riders yet to enjoy the outdoors. 

To purchase go to greenskiwax.com.

Original Green Wax

Our first post on Snowboard Green last February covered Green Wax, a company operating in a truly sustainable fashion creating an environmentally conscious product. We thought we should revisit this product as they just launched a sweet new website and using Green Wax is probably the easiest and cheapest way a snowboarder can reduce his or her impact on the natural environment. Green Wax is a true universal performance wax made from all natural ingredients. To make a wax that is green, Green Wax had to do a few things differently than the traditional companies. Traditional waxes contain perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and petroleum. PFCs are extremely potent greenhouse gases, with a lifetime up to 50,000 years. A production derivative of PFCs is a chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to lower birth weight in people and animals, liver damage, as well as cancer. These chemical residuals then get left behind on the mountain, combine with runoff water, and penetrate into our waterways. When produced, these waxes are made in large quantities, and extruded with complex machines. This uses excess energy, and creates additional waste. Our wax is made from all natural ingredients containing no PFCs or petroleum. We produce it in small batches to ensure quality and consistency. Each batch is then hand poured directly into our recycled packaging, eliminating the need for molds or extrusion machines. The all-natural mix is formulated to provide pro-level glide, maximum adhesion, and ease of application. When combined, these efforts ensure a clean ride now, and for future generations of riders yet to enjoy the outdoors. To purchase go to greenskiwax.com.

Green Wax

Green Wax is a TRUE Universal performance wax made from all natural ingredients. To make a wax that is Green, Green Wax had to do a few things differently than the traditional companies. Traditional waxes contain perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and petroleum. PFCs are extremely potent greenhouse gases, with a lifetime up to 50,000 years. A production derivative of PFCs is a chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to lower birth weight in people and animals, liver damage, as well as cancer. These chemical residuals then get left behind on the mountain, and penetrate into our waterways. When produced, these waxes are made in large quantities, and extruded with complex machines. This uses excess energy, and creates additional waste. Our wax is made from all natural ingredients containing no PFCs or petroleum. We produce it in small batches to ensure quality and consistency. Each batch is then hand poured directly into our recycled packaging, eliminating the need for molds or extrusion machines. The all-natural mix is formulated to provide pro-level glide, maximum adhesion, and ease of application. When combined, these efforts ensure a clean ride now, and for future generations of riders yet to enjoy the outdoors. Find out more at www.greenskiwax.com!