Pejo 3000 is a ski resort located in the north of Italy and it will become one of the first ski areas in the world to become free of plastic.
The resort is located right within the Stelvio National Park and has recently announced that they’re prohibiting disposable glasses, straws, cutlery, bottles and other single-use plastic, including mayonnaise and ketchup packets, from their huts as an effort to make the resort eco-friendly.
Why Did the Pejo 3000 Made this Decision?
The decision to go plastic-free came after a study published by scientists from the Milan-Bicocca University and University of Milan emphasized that the glacier Forni near the resort contained microplastics.
The scientists discovered that its surface had 131 to 162 million plastic particles.
They hypothesize that these particles came from the ski equipments of the tourists and have been blown onto the glacier by the wind.
Christian Casarotto, glaciologist at the MUSE, a science museum in Trento, explains that when plastics reaches high altitude, it can remain unchanged for a long period of time, even for decades, and therefore it poses a environmental and health threat.
He also added that there is an urgent need of more projects that will help lower the usage of plastic and they need to be applied throughout the Alps.
The ban on plastic is only a small instance of their strategy to make the resort eco-friendlier.
The Dream of Making Pejo 3000 most Sustainable in the Alps
The Val Di Sole ski resort also plans on replacing its diesel snowcats with hybrid ones and come up with further plans to enhance their waste collection, energy use, and recycling.
They’ve already removed plastic covers from one-day ski passes.
According to the ski resort’s general director, Fabio Sacco, their goal is to make the ski area of the Pejo 3000 one of the most sustainable resorts in the Alps.
Luciano Rizzi, president of the local tourism board notes that their local economy is based on tourism; however, it requires specific attention to make sure their natural resources aren’t being depleted.
Their mountains are their treasure and they need to do everything in their power to keep the safe for the generations to come.
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