Written by Jennifer Cheung, Senior Buyer, Snow Apparel

 
The outdoor industry has more reason than any other apparel category to protect the environment - after all, if global warming leads to no snow on the mountains, ski apparel brands aren't exactly going to survive that. So it's definitely in all of our best interests to manufacture apparel in a sustainable way, and there are a lot of different ways to achieve that goal. Here are some of our favorites:
 

RECYCLED MATERIALS

One of the most impactful ways vendors can work towards sustainability is by using recycled materials.

The North Face uses recycled polyester sourced from water bottles and soda bottles in some of their most popular products, including the iconic Denali jacket and the Glacier ¼ Zip. The Denali jacket alone saves 30 million plastic bottles from landfills every year, and The North Face is always working to use more and more recycled fleece in all their products.

 
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Polyester (which is made from oil, and is, obviously, unsustainable as a resource) makes up a lot of the high-tech materials used in the outdoor industry. Luckily, many brands have recognized that Mother Nature has been working on this stuff way longer than we have.

Icebreaker's merino wool products are an excellent example of this, with 87% of their fibers coming from renewable, natural sources. Icebreaker also ships their products in water-soluble bags (called Bio-Bags) to prevent ocean plastic waste.

 
ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

There are some technologies that Mother Nature still hasn't quite reproduced yet - waterproof membranes are a big one.

Picture Organic has one strong solution in bio-sourcing: man-made, plant-based materials like their Xpore waterproof membrane, that is itself recyclable and made without harmful chemicals like PFCs or solvents. There's a lot of technology behind this but the result is an eco-friendly product that's just as effective as other waterproof materials out there.

 
REPAIR & REUSE

Have you heard the term "fast fashion"? It's pretty safe to say that the outdoor industry is the opposite of that. 

Outdoor gear is built tough and made to last indefinitely, so at Sports Basement we wanted to take it a step farther with Pre-Loved where you can buy used, trade-in, and be green. We're here to help our communities pass their gear along to the next worthy adventurer, so their pre-loved gear can be re-loved again. Buying used extends a garment's life by about two years, which cuts its combined carbon, water and waste footprint by 82% (Thred Up). In addition, used gear makes it more affordable for more Bay Area dwellers to gear up and get outside - used gear is a win-win.

Click that green button below to learn how you can start your trade-in and where you can shop Pre-Loved gear!

 
BLUESIGN APPROVAL

One easy way to identify sustainably made products in the wild is to look for a bluesign® approval tag. That means that the textiles and accessories used in that garment were manufactured with responsible use of resources and the lowest possible impact on people and the environment.

As a bluesign® system partner, Columbia (and several other of our favorite vendors) solely uses bluesign® approved sources at every level of their manufacturing process.

 
PROTECT OUR WINTERS

More commonly just known by its acronym, “POW” is brought to us by the same Jeremy Jones who founded Jones Snowboards. After developing the brand to help him in his badass backcountry snowboarding endeavors, Jeremy founded POW to protect the ever-depleting snowpack that supports the California watershed and keeps skiers and riders stoked around the world.

In their own words, “We help passionate outdoor people protect the places and lifestyles they love from climate change.”