Alpine Shire Council is urging snow-goers to dispose of skis and snowboards that are no longer required after the snow season in a responsible manner.

Council said ti often sees a number of skis, snowboards, and other snow gear end up at the shire’s transfer stations in Mount Beauty, Myrtleford and Porepunkah.

Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, encouraged snow-goers to consider different ways to either dispose of their equipment or breathe new life into items that could find homes with other people, or be repurposed as furniture or wall decor.

“Unless your equipment is beyond repair, I would highly encourage anybody looking to move on their snow gear to consider donating their items to our Alpine Tip Shop, located at Myrtleford Transfer Station,” she said.

“Our Tip Shop will take skis, snowboards, toboggans, boots, and stocks to sell onto new owners and contribute to our sustainability goals for our region.

“However, please note that our Tip Shop does not accept clothes – for these, we recommend taking them to your local op shop.”

Snow equipment that is ready for landfill can be taken to any of council’s transfer stations in Mount Beauty, Myrtleford or Porepunkah.

Community members are reminded that bindings must be removed before disposal at council’s transfer stations.

Any skis or snowboards with bindings attached will not be accepted for disposal.

If bindings are made of metal, these can be removed from the skis or boards and recycled.

Otherwise, the skis or snowboards must be recycled via a specialised recycler or taken to landfill.

Modern skis and snowboards are generally constructed of a laminated wood or composite core, which is surrounded by layers of carbon, metal, and fiberglass, as well as a protective top sheet and high-density polyethylene base.

Skis and snowboards generally also have plastic sidewalls and metal edges, and are mounted with either plastic or metal bindings.

These materials are hard to separate and therefore recycling skis and snowboards is very difficult.

Cr Nicholas also encouraged snow-goers to take inspiration from the furniture and wall art that can be viewed throughout Alpine Shire.

“There are so many innovative examples of things that can be created with old skis and snowboards, including coat racks and shelving,” she said.

“From the impressive chair located at Windy Corner in Falls Creek to the number of ski fences that we see around our region, it shows that a little creativity can go a long way to giving your beloved gear a second life.”

The Alpine Tip Shop is open from 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturday, and Sundays at the Myrtleford Transfer Station, located at Morrisons Lane, Myrtleford.

For more information about transfer station opening days and times, visit: https://www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/residents-ratepayers/waste-recycling/transfer-stations