Nordica Joins 'Recycle Your Boots',

Nordica proudly joins recycle your boots, a circular economy project which aims to propose a new business model, capable to protect and save our planet, transforming old ski boots into second generation pieces and reducing CO2 emissions.

TRANSPORTATION

The old ski boots are carried to the collection center in Italy using reduced environmental impact vehicles. They have a dedicated transportation plan, that keeps the number of collections to a minimum and optimize the routes to prevent unnecessary travel.

DISMANTLING

A ski boot is made of some 120 components, 70 of which are in the liner. Once the ski boots get to the collection center, the liners are removed and plastic and metal components are separated from each other and moved to the transformation center.

TRANSFORMATION

The 120 components, after being pre-selected and separated, are shredded, and then washed. Metals are divided into ferrous and non-ferrous materials and plastics are sorted into polyurethane and polypropylene. Obtaining second generation materials makes it possible to use fewer natural resources.

WHAT DO WE GET?

In the end, what is left of the ski boot? Little grains of plastic and a pile of aluminum, ready to be recast and reused in industrial production.

REGENERATION

Metals recovered during this transformation process are then introduced back to the market to make new ski boot buckles, or for other applications, such as bicycle frames or structural elements.

When it comes to the plastics, they regenerate two types: polypropylene (PP) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). PP granules are used to make new office chairs, garden furniture, flooring and containers. This avoids having to produce virgin PP through carbon fossil fuels and saves CO2 emissions.

Part of this plastic material is used directly to make components for new ski boots.. TPU is used in the world of both sports and traditional footwear – to make soles, inserts, reinforcements and wedges. For example, the wedges inside the shells, cuff reinforcements, heel and toe sections and rear spoilers.

Nordica is studying several possible applications for to recycle liners too, such as using the recovered materials in the production of new protection mattresses for ski slopes.