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Outdoor Companies Taking Initiatives to Give Back
By FrolicEarth
Here’s our list of outdoor companies which are taking initiatives to give back and/or offering eco-friendly products. Don’t worry, we’re just getting started! Understanding there is much more to do in order to achieve sustainability, we’re excited to find some companies in the outdoor sports industry that are striving to reduce, reuse, recycle, and give back to the planet. The list below only includes a snapshot of all the companies found on the list. To see the entire list, click here.
Cariloha
Products include: Bamboo Clothes, Bedding, Bath Towels and Accessories
Where can you buy? Cariloha
What they are doing! Hawaiian aloha and Caribbean culture were the inspiration behind Cariloha – a combination of the two. Cariloha is the world’s only retail brand with stores that are completely merchandised with ultra-soft, comfortable clothing and accessories made of eco-friendly bamboo. An ever-growing rich supply of bamboo makes it possible for Cariloha to offer an exclusive collection of apparel, accessories, home décor, bed and bath sets and more all enjoying the soft touch and green ‘footprint’ of this renewable resource.
Marmot
Products include: Outdoor Apparel, Accessories, and Equipment for Skiing, Snowsports, Climbing, Trail Running, Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Adventure Travel, and Outdoor Lifestyle
Where can you buy? Backcountry, Altrec
What they are doing! Marmot offers selected high quality garments and equipment for the outdoors, using eco fabrics and their patented eco technologies. Look for products using “Themal R Eco” made with recycled insulation, natural geese down, Polartec® PCR Recycled Fleece, Cocona®, a fast drying, odor controlling, UV protective material derived from would-be discarded or “upcycled” Coconut shell husks, Upcycle® which uses natural, organic, and recycled or discarded materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, and certified organic cotton. Marmot is based in Santa Rosa, California, USA.
New Balance
Products include: Footwear, Apparel
Where can you buy? Backcountry, Altrec or Find a Retailer
What they are doing! As part of a greater effort to adopt more sustainable practices, New Balance has introduced newSky a line of shoes made from a non-woven material made from 95% recycled post-consumer PET plastic bottles. The entire upper component of these shoes are made up of this material, including the shoe laces, tongue label, and stitching. These shoes use 73% less upper materials than their traditional shoes. Water-based glue is used to assemble the upper and sole. An average pair of newSky shoes are made from 8 recycled plastic bottles. Read more about this innovation. New Balance has internal goals to increase the use of Environmentally Prefered Materials (EPMs) every season. The company reports that in 2008, 98% of their waste was recycled or burned for energy, 32% of electircal energy was purchased from renewable or alternative sources. New Balance donates time and money to multiple community conservation efforts. Read more about New Balance’s environmental initiatives.
The North Face
Products include: Outdoor Apparel, Accessories, Footwear, and Equipment for Camping, Climbing, Hiking, Yoga, Running, Biking, and Skiing, Snowboarding, Trekking, Travel, and Training
Where can you buy? Backcountry, Altrec or The North Face site
What they are doing! The North Face, in their quest for sustainability, is focused on product innovation, community engangement, greenhouse gas reduction, and waste elimination. For their Fall 2011 collection, the company reported that over 20% of their total materials and 40% of their insulation is made from recycled materials. They innovated their 2011 Venture product line to use natural castor oil, reducing the use of synthetic material by 50%, eliminating 50,000 pounds of petroleum-based materials in that line alone. The company is a founding member is a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Eco Working Group that is developing the Eco Index. The Eco Index is a ground-breaking environmental assessment tool designed to advance sustainability practices within the outdoor industry. Read more about The North Face’s innovations.