For years, Meran 2000 has been actively working to raise visitor awareness, taking actions that aim to both protect the landscape’s resilience and minimise the human impact on the environment. Waste disposal represents a significant proportion of the environmental impact caused by human activity. This is especially true above the tree line, where even organic waste takes a long time to decompose, making it an even greater challenge.
In 2023, larger waste collection stations were placed near the lifts and in other locations in the area, designed to carefully separate glass, cans, plastic bottles and dry waste. A decision was also taken to avoid placing waste containers in isolated areas, as these often quickly become dumping grounds and attract wild animals. The issue of dog waste bags remains particularly sensitive, as proper disposal is crucial since the parasites in the faeces may be dangerous for grazing cattle, causing miscarriages and birth defects in calves. “Paradoxically, the real issue is not so much placing canine waste in bags but disposing of it correctly at designated collection points,” explains Andreas Zanier, president of Merano 2000 Funivie Spa. “Leaving bags along the paths creates a double problem in terms of waste. Plastic bags take 60 to 200 years to decompose in nature”.
Plastic bottles take even longer to break down. For this reason, water fountains have been set up in the area where thirsty visitors can easily refill their bottles. Reusable drinking or thermos bottles are available at the ticket offices of the Naif and Falzeben cable cars, from the mountain station hire shop and in the CUBUS restaurant.
One positive waste management development is the waste collection initiative organised by Merano 2000 and the Tourist Association. This four-day awareness campaign in partnership with the Bolzano regional youth service saw significant progress in reducing litter. In 2023, 20 large rubbish bags were collected; in 2024, that number dropped to just nine.
In autumn 2023, Meran 2000 launched a comprehensive strategic sustainability programme, that includes key changes such as the transition to 100% green energy supplied by Alperia and switching to HVO synthetic diesel fuel for the ski resort’s vehicle fleet. Since summer 2024, the resort has also been experimenting with electric mobility. In the summer season, a new Italcar e-quad is used to transport staff lunches to various work locations and a Xelom electric snowcat is being trialled for a three-year period to further explore sustainable alternatives for winter operations. Additional actions are being planned and developed. Andreas Zanier is confident these efforts will make a difference: “Through lots of small and large steps, we aim to give back to the mountain habitat what it needs to continue its natural cycles. We consider ourselves guests in this stunning landscape, and our goal is to preserve what makes it so special, ensuring that Merano 2000 remains an enjoyable place for everyone for a long time to come.”