With the “Circular WM Concept” from Saubermacher and SmartScan technology from SCANTEC, the 2025 Ski World Championships in Austria became a sustainability pioneer.

Thunderous applause in the finish area, around 175,000 ski fans cheered on their heroes in the fight for hundredths of a second and medal places at the Ski World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria. The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2025 thrilled the whole world at the beginning of February – and also set new records away from the white pistes and slopes. Never before has an international sporting event implemented environmental protection so consistently.

Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG, the official waste management partner of the World Championships, was on hand with two eActros 300 waste collection vehicles with STUMMER Medium X4 superstructures, and ensured world-class waste separation with SmartScan technology on board around the slopes.

For two weeks, the rubbish on the fan mile and in the finish stadium was not only collected, but also analyzed using SmartScan. In line with the full event calendar and the resulting streams of visitors, the whisper-quiet collection vehicle with fully electric drive used every time slot to empty the rubbish containers at the World Cup parking lot at the valley entrance and at the bus parking lot at the valley end. As soon as the competition began and the fan mile was deserted again, the approximately 30 recycling islands there were also emptied and the waste was analyzed in real time using a high-resolution RGB camera and AI. The results were exciting: not only were misthrows in the waste recorded, SmartScan was also able to determine exactly what type of material it was.

To raise awareness and further increase the separation rate, the audience was presented with the daily updated waste scan results on a large screen at the finish line. An effective information campaign not only for the separation of waste, but ideally for the complete avoidance of waste.

STUMMER CEO Johann Streif: “Our smart high-tech scanner was in use every day of the World Ski Championships. The analysis of the residual waste showed that, on average, 66 percent of the waste was correctly disposed of by visitors over the entire duration of the event. This is an outstanding figure that significantly exceeds the average recycling rate in Austria.”

In terms of environmental protection, Austria, a country of ski enthusiasts, set a new record with these World Championships. “In addition to top sporting performances, we placed particular emphasis on being a role model in terms of sustainability,” explains Roswitha Stadlober, Chairwoman of the Saalbach 2025 World Championships Presidium and President of the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV).

The organizers and their local partners had already launched a “Circular World Cup Concept” that goes far beyond traditional waste collection. The 360° approach was able to minimize the environmental impact of the major event by raising awareness, avoiding waste and separating waste, and using the eActros 300 waste collection vehicles with STUMMER Medium X4 superstructures including SmartScan technology.

Photos: Copyright Daimler Truck Austria