The Sewenhütte sits in the central Swiss Alpental at 2,150 metres above sea level. During the summer months the hut can only be reached on foot or by helicopter, and the owners have replaced daily supply runs with a single weekly helicopter shipment of roughly two tonnes of fresh food.

Logistics and cost efficiency

The weekly delivery offsets the cost of a helicopter flight, estimated at about 1,100 euros, and allows the use of reusable containers instead of disposable packaging. By moving a larger quantity at once, the Gehrigs can store food in sturdy containers that are reused each week, cutting the amount of waste generated on site.

Food storage and preparation

Perishable items are kept in three separate places: the kitchen, a cool cellar and shelves above the owners’ bed. Dairy products are stored in an external concrete cooler that is chilled by cold mountain spring water. The owners regularly monitor the cooler’s temperature because rising summer heat makes cooling more difficult.

The dinner menu typically includes vegetable soup, salad, pasta with vegetables or meat and a dessert. When groups have special dietary requirements or longer stays, the staff adjust the meal plan to avoid repeating dishes. Leftover food is consumed by the staff and excess vegetables are added to the next day’s soup.

Portion control and guest involvement

Visitors are asked to serve themselves only the portion they intend to eat, taking food piece by piece. For school classes and larger groups guests are instructed to serve themselves portion by portion so that plates are returned empty. Staff politely remind guests who take more than needed that they should limit their portions.

Waste management

All waste generated at the hut is flown out by helicopter to the valley where local waste‑management services process it. There are no public trash bins along the hiking routes; hikers are asked either to take their waste back or to use the hut’s designated containers. A small bowl of organic waste is composted on a farm and fed to animals.

Broader relevance

Lottie Mulligan, community manager at Alpenventures Unguided, describes the Sewenhütte as a functional example that has not yet become widespread. In the French Vanoise region some huts provide reusable lunchboxes for hikers to fill, which greatly reduces single‑use packaging. Mulligan notes that many visitors treat the mountains primarily as a leisure destination rather than a fragile ecosystem, a mindset that poses a challenge for sustainable tourism.

Although Switzerland is not an EU member, its hut models are often cited by neighbouring countries as examples. A coordinated EU initiative could set standards for packaging reduction, helicopter logistics and waste avoidance in alpine areas, standards that could be adopted by Alpine states and increase hikers’ personal responsibility for waste.

Future developments

The Gehrigs are exploring solar‑powered refrigeration to supplement the concrete cooler during hotter summers and plan to strengthen ties with regional farmers to shorten supply chains and lower CO₂ emissions. Their overall approach combines precise logistics, mindful portioning and clear guest messaging to align tourism with nature protection.