Sustainable products take the spotlight at Outdoor Retailer / Winter 2020
More than most, and for obvious reasons, the outdoor industry has always been a haven for environmental pioneers. That said, performance has been the key driver of new developments. If you take a quick look back at the Best in Show awards from a decade ago you'll see all sorts of new technologies but only a handful of which push environmental boundaries. Since then we've been happy to see a growing focus on sustainability innovations in the industry. Last years Best in Show at ISPO, the Gruzei Bag, was a sleeping bag made from 100% natural materials. And at last months Outdoor Retailer it felt that sustainability emerged as a genuine headline topic for both brands and the media.
Here's the obligatory rundown of our favourite earth-friendly brands and products from the show…
"The best possible environmentally friendly product design. Unique designs that stand out for their fresh colors and valued for their good quality. Cost prices are controlled to make sure that our products are a true alternative to conventional industrial production."
"We completely redesigned our core line of blankets to use only 100% post-consumer recycled materials. We’re now recycling over 5 million discarded plastic bottles through our supply chain every year. We’re also proud to be a member of 1% For The Planet, which means we donate 1% of all revenue to environmental non-profits. And finally, we’re members of the freshman cohort of brands that are certified Climate Neutral. This means that beginning in 2020, and every year thereafter, we’ll be offsetting 100% of our company’s carbon footprint by purchasing offset credits."
"North America’s only line of plant-based ski wax."
"Warm, windproof, water-resistant—the Nano Puff® Jacket uses incredibly lightweight and highly compressible 60-g PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco with 55% postconsumer recycled content, wrapped in a 100% recycled polyester shell and lining. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn."