How to Recycle Ski Wax

By Tim Kelley
Published: Fri May 09, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

I’m writing this article to show fellow FasterSkier readers how easy it is to recycle ski wax. I’ve been recycling ski wax for a while now, and hopefully the following instructions and pictures of how I recycle ski wax will encourage others to consider doing the same.

What do I mean by “recycling” ski wax? I’m referring to taking the wax shavings generated from scraping skis, melting them down and making new bars of ski wax.

Why recycle ski wax? Well, there are a few reasons. The first reason is environmental. Most of the ski wax that is produced in the world ends up in the trash, and soon after, in our landfills. Only a small fraction of a block of ski wax is actually absorbed by ski bases. The majority of the wax is scrapped into shavings which most people throw away. I’m sure I don’t have to explain why throwing less stuff, especially hydrocarbon based products, into our landfills or hazardous waste facilities is a good thing.

A second reason to recycle ski wax is to save money. If you can recycle and re-use your wax shavings you can get 4 or 5 or more times the ski waxings out of a block of wax.

A possible third reason to recycle ski wax is to support our sport. If large ski racing events sorted and saved the wax shavings generated at their events and gave them to junior programs, then the shavings could be recycled and used to make free ski wax for our next generation of skiers. Anything we can do to help cut expenses for our sport’s new generations is a good thing.

So, how do you recycle ski wax? Well, the first thing you need to do is set up your wax bench so that your wax shavings fall on a clean reusable plastic tarp or piece of Visqueen. Then scoop up the shavings and save them in Ziploc bags (recycled ones of course). You can sort the wax however you want. I personally just have two bags, “warm” and “cold”, that I put wax shavings in.

Once you have a bag full of wax shavings, all you need is a Pyrex measuring cup and you are ready to recycle.






Take the shavings and wax scraps and stuff them into the Pyrex cup. Place the cup on a stove at medium heat and wait a few minutes.






When the wax shavings become liquid, pour the molten wax back into the original wax container. No doubt some people recycle these plastic wax containers, but too often this wax packaging ends up in landfills along with the unused wax. So by re-using the original container you are doubling up your recycling impact.






After pouring the wax, let it cool until it is hard and easy to remove from the container. Note: This amount of liquid wax cools slowly at room temperature.






When the wax cools, you’re ready to use it again! You will notice that this wax bar has black flecks in it. That’s not dirt. Those are base scrapings that settle to the bottom of the wax. I suppose you could pour the wax through a metal strainer to get rid of them. But I don’t worry about putting them on my skis as they are not abrasive, not dirty and they won’t likely melt to your skis.

I’ve been recycling and reusing ski wax for a while now and I personally can’t tell any speed difference between recycled and original wax. I wouldn’t expect skiers to embrace the idea of using recycled wax for races. But it’s a cheap waxing option for training, travel and storage wax, rental shops, touring, kids programs and for back country skiing.

So please think about trying to recycle your ski wax and help make the sport of xc ski racing a little less abusive on the environment. If folks have ideas on better techniques for recycling ski wax, then please share your ideas and post them below. Thanks!

Tim Kelley is a former US Ski Team member from the 70's Koch-Caldwell-Galanes era.
Once a Vermonter, he now lives in Alaska where most of his skiing these days
is exploring trails less-traveled, by skis, in Alaska. He also maintains
the Alaska Performance Backcountry Skiing web site: http://crust.outlookalaska.com

 

 

Reader Comments - Add Your Own Comment

Patrick Stinson - Anchorage, AK, posted on May 09, 2008 Haha, that's funny. I thought about doing that once. I'd be really tight about it and keep a clean bench and sort the wax by type. You rocky mountain skiers will have a bath tub full of LF4 shavings by the time Nationals comes around. Anyway, for anyone that's bored and tired of sniffing glue all day make sure you drape a towel over yer head and the melting pot to keep from wasting those hydros and flouros! Re-use before re-cycle kiddies! just kidding, of course... Lex Treinen - Anchorage, AK, posted on May 09, 2008 Man, Tim Kelly, the wax lobby is going to hunt you down for posting this. Tim Kelley - Anchorage, AK, posted on May 09, 2008 Patrick - Good point about fumes. This is ski wax, so you should always wear a respirator. But I will venture to say that this process has less wax fumes than waxing. The surface area of molten wax that can vaporize is much less in a Pyrex cup than that which is spread out on ski bases. Lex – You’ve got one tough (and cool) mom. If the wax companies come after me I’ll ask your mom for protection. The wax company hit men will back down in a hurry!!! ;-) Heidi Henkel - Brattleboro, VT, posted on May 09, 2008 This sounds great- I have been wondering about recycling wax. I would just do this procedure outdoors on a camp stove or hot plate. I do most of my waxing outdoors, unless it is really cold out, anyway. Jamey Holstein - Ferrisburg, VT, posted on May 09, 2008 I heard Alaskans have a good method for recycling toilet paper. I understand it was a method developed in Cornwall, VT, staging all materials to be recycled next to the toilet in a brown paper shopping bag. I beleive it is called the "Thumper" method. I am sure Alaskan Performace Backcountry skiers could recieve a wax sponsorship, given the media attention they now demand. Come on Pully Dog, send TK some nice Swix wax for god sake! Max Treinen - Anchorage, AK, posted on May 09, 2008 To the venerable Mr Kelley: Keep my mother out of this you scoundrel. But really, Lex and I are concerned, you haven't had any trouble with Homeland Security since posting this article, have you? Someone told me that Haliburton owns Swix and it seems like you're spoiling their little party. Sincerely, Max Tim Kelley - Anchorage, AK, posted on May 09, 2008 Max and Lex, No problem from Homeland yet. And I hope by posting what I did – it doesn’t get your mother hauled off to jail for life. If that happened I’d feel the responsibility to adopt you two monsters! And what a nightmare that would be! Especially for you two. Thanks for caring, Tim Add Your Own Comment

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