Ski Resort Sustainability: A Practical Procurement Checklist

Sustainability in a ski resort is not one headline initiative. It is a management system spanning energy, snowmaking, buildings, transport, food, waste, purchasing and guest communication. The practical challenge is turning broad commitments into decisions that departments can measure and repeat.

This checklist is designed for resort leadership, procurement, mountain operations and hospitality teams. It does not replace a site-specific climate or environmental plan; it helps reveal where purchasing decisions can support one.

1. Establish the baseline and ownership

• Measure energy, fuel, water and waste by facility and operating period.
• Separate mountain operations, accommodation, food and beverage, retail and transport where possible.
• Name an owner for each target and define the reporting frequency.
• Record normalizing factors such as skier visits, occupied rooms, operating days and snowmaking hours.
• Distinguish direct operational data from estimates and supplier claims.

A baseline turns “reduce impact” into a management question: which source is material, who controls it, what is the next decision point and how will improvement be verified?

2. Energy, lifts and buildings

• Map the largest loads across lifts, pumping, heating, kitchens, laundry and lighting.
• Use equipment replacement cycles to compare efficiency, controllability and total operating cost.
• Review building envelopes, heat recovery, controls and maintenance before assuming new generation is the only answer.
• Track purchased electricity and any on-site generation consistently.
• Include staff training and shutdown procedures in the operating plan.

3. Snowmaking and water

• Measure water and energy by snowmaking zone and weather window.
• Maintain nozzles, pumps, sensors and controls to preserve expected efficiency.
• Link production decisions to accurate local conditions and slope priorities.
• Document water sources, storage, permits and downstream constraints.
• Include grooming and snow movement in the overall snow-management assessment.

Efficiency claims should be assessed in the resort's terrain, climate and operating model. A high-performing component cannot compensate for poor control, leakage or unnecessary production.

4. Guest and staff mobility

• Understand how guests and employees reach the destination and move within it.
• Coordinate rail, coach, shuttle, parking and luggage information before arrival.
• Make lower-impact options easy to find during booking.
• Review staff housing and shift transport, not only visitor mobility.
• Measure utilization before expanding a service or changing vehicle technology.

5. Food, retail and accommodation purchasing

• Set specifications for high-volume categories instead of relying on vague supplier promises.
• Review portioning, forecasting, storage and donation routes to prevent food waste.
• Ask for evidence supporting origin, recycled content, certification or chemical claims.
• Consider service life, repairability, refill systems and packaging alongside purchase price.
• Avoid shifting waste from the resort to the supplier without tracking the outcome.

6. Waste and circular operations

• Audit what is actually in each waste stream before adding more bins.
• Standardize signage across guest and back-of-house locations.
• Design return points for rental equipment, reusable serviceware and access credentials.
• Confirm local processors accept the material in its finished, possibly mixed form.
• Track contamination and rejected loads rather than reporting collection alone.

7. Guest credentials and small high-volume items

Lift passes, room keys, locker cards and wristbands are physically small but highly visible and often purchased in volume. Specify them by use period, installed reader, return process and realistic end of life. Wood, recycled PVC, plant-fibre bodies and reusable wristbands each suit different programs.

Use the focused guide to eco-friendly guest credentials for ski resorts for the material comparison, or view all RFID ski pass card and wristband options.

8. Supplier due diligence

• Define the exact product, facility or reporting period covered by a claim.
• Request current evidence rather than copying a marketing phrase into the tender.
• Include quality, failure rate and replacement consequences in the evaluation.
• Ask how packaging, split deliveries and overproduction will be controlled.
• Record exceptions and improvement actions instead of treating the questionnaire as pass/fail.

9. Guest communication without greenwashing

• Describe the specific change, not an undefined “green” product.
• State percentages, boundaries and conditions where relevant.
• Do not promise recyclability or compostability without an accessible route.
• Explain what the guest should do with a reusable or returnable item.
• Update claims when suppliers, materials or operations change.

10. Build the annual procurement cycle

1. Review last season's usage, failures, returns and waste.
2. Prioritize categories by impact, volume, risk and upcoming contract date.
3. Write performance-based specifications and the evidence required.
4. Sample or pilot where compatibility and guest behaviour matter.
5. Evaluate total cost and operational effect, not unit price alone.
6. Record delivery data and supplier evidence.
7. Close the loop after the season and update the next tender.

Start with the next decision—not a perfect masterplan

A resort does not need every answer before improving procurement. It does need a baseline, clear ownership, specific requirements and a way to verify outcomes. Start with high-volume or contract-ready categories, run a documented pilot and use the evidence to strengthen the next cycle.