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How To Recycle Ski Wax

by: Tim Kelley
 

Question:  Where does most of the ski wax that you buy often end up?

Answer:  Landfills.

A small percentage of the wax that you apply to the base of your skis (or snowboards) actually is absorbed into the base material.  Most of the wax is scraped off the ski base.  And most people throw these hydrocarbon based wax scrapings into the trash.  Which then heads off to the local landfill.

So why not use 90% of the wax you buy instead of throwing away 90% of the wax you buy?  It's very easy to be less wasteful and have less of an adverse environmental impact when it comes to the use of ski wax.  And you can save a bunch of money by being environmentally responsible too.  Here's how ...
 
Save your wax scrapings in a Ziploc bag.  You may want to save scrapings by warm and cold temperature ranges. Pack the shavings into a Pyrex cup. Then melt the wax to liquid.  Melt the wax slowly at low heat so no fumes are emitted.  Pour the wax as soon as it turns liquid. Recycle the original wax container by using it to pour the melted wax into. When the wax cools, you've got some free and enviro-friendly ski wax!!


Note: The wax scrapings you see being recycled above are a mixture of new and previously recycled ski wax.  You can recycle "recycled" ski wax over and over again.  By doing this you can eliminate almost all of the disposal of hydrocarbon wax scrapings to landfills.

 

A Wax Collection Trough
Kevin Turinsky of Anchorage, Alaska sent these pictures of a removable trough he rigged up next to his ski waxing bench.  Wax shavings are directed into the trough as you scrape your skis.  And then it's easy to collect the scrapings to recycle them.  Great idea and nice job Kevin!


BE SAFE: Wear gloves and eye protection.  Molten wax can cause 3rd degree burns.  Consider using a hot plate out of doors.  Melt the wax slowly, so no fumes are emitted, and pour it as soon as it becomes liquid.  Don't leave the wax that is being melted unattended.