For the 2023/24 season, Tecnica has redesigned its successful Cochise model to reduce its carbon footprint and support the circular economy. “The Cochise is our first ski boot to benefit from what we have learned from the ‘Recycle Your Boots’ program,” explains Matteo Murer, Product Manager Tecnica Ski Boots. “By recycling old ski boots from all brands, we found out, among other things, what makes the process difficult and what materials cannot be recycled. And in the process of learning how to recycle a ski boot, we also realized what our options are. Make ski boots from materials that reduce the carbon footprint, and with a design that simplifies and improves the recycling process.”
Production without PVC
To understand the environmental impact of ski boot production, Tecnica involved the University of Padua in the process. The LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) method allows an analysis of each production step, including the production of raw materials. In addition, the transformation into semi-finished products, the final product itself and all transport routes are analyzed.
Packaging, for example, accounts for only about 1.8 percent of CO2 emissions. For the inner shoe, on the other hand, it’s about 28 percent, for which PVC is mainly responsible, a plastic with a high-intensity production process that is found in many inner shoe components. From 2023, Tecnica has therefore decided to eliminate PVC and other environmentally harmful materials in its production.
Use of recycled materials
Removing polluting materials from the inner shoe and power strap drastically reduces the carbon footprint of the new Cochise. The list of elements of the new Cochise that are made from recycled materials is long. The buckles are made of recycled aluminum; the power strap is not only PVC-free but is made of recycled plastic, as is the outsole, which is partially made of recycled material. Parts of the inner shoe, the tongue, and the C.A.S. shell were made with recycled materials like recycled Lycra. The sole was also made from recycled plastic, which replaces the energy-intensive PVC.
Designed for the loop
A fundamental idea of the Recycle Your Boots (RYB) program is to collect and recycle used boots from all brands. “In order to increase the quality of the recycled material we receive from the RYB process,” explains Giorgio Grandin, Tecnica Group Innovation Manager, “from fall/winter 2022/23, all Tecnica ski boots will have a QR code printed on them. By scanning the code, our selection center will be able to precisely sort the different materials according to their mechanical properties, ultimately obtaining homogeneous, higher-quality raw materials.” This allows Tecnica to use these materials more extensively and also for functional parts of the outer shell, which in turn further reduces the consumption of virgin raw materials and the final carbon footprint, all without compromising the durability or performance of the ski boot. Finally, the design of the Cochise also offers smart solutions that facilitate the disassembly of the ski boot.
The versatile Cochise ski boot is available for the 23/24 season in both a mid-volume model with a 99 mm last and a high-volume model with a 102 mm last for wider feet. Skiers can choose between a flex of 130, 120 and 110, while female skiers have the choice of 115, 105 and 95 flex.
