The more people are keen to explore nature and challenge its limits, the more precious their act of feeding nature becomes. With the promotion of the concept of outdoor environmental protection, there are now many urban outdoor culture enthusiasts who have joined the outdoor environmental protection activities.
The first place of the most polluting industry in the world is the petrochemical industry. The second place is the garment industry. According to research, the production of one kilogram of cotton will consume up to 20,000 liters of water, and the production of a piece of clothing will even use thousands of chemicals, including the most familiar waterproof coating for outdoor players.
As early as a few years ago, it was proposed that the waterproof coating of outdoor products contains PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) harmful to the human body, may harm the reproductive system, stimulate tumor growth, disrupt the endocrine system, and Greenpeace further found that PFCs have long flowed into nature, in fish, water is found PFCs.
Once this topic came out, it also caused a great deal of noise in the outdoor industry, and many manufacturers have abandoned the use of PFCs, labeled PFCs Free, as Fjällräven is one of them. But in addition to the PFCs issue, outdoor brands are also constantly thinking about how to be more environmentally friendly and reduce waste, so some manufacturers are starting to use recycled materials to make clothes and backpacks to achieve the goal of recycling.
June 5 is World Environment Day. We have compiled a list of 6 outdoor brands that use recycled materials to make products for your future reference when buying outdoor products.
Table of Contents
No 1- Patagonia – Making bags from recycled plastic bottles
Since 1996, Patagonia has been using organic cotton as the material for its clothing, and since 1985, Patagonia has been donating 1% of its annual sales to non-profit environmental organizations. Patagonia was certified as a Type B company in 2011, so how can we not love Patagonia?
No 2-Mammut-Recycled duvets made into down jackets
In 2019, Mammut is also releasing a new down jacket, Whitehorn, which is filled with down from hotel duvets, and in collaboration with Re:DOWN, a recycled down organization. Mammut is a partner with Re:DOWN.
Mammut has been awarded the Bluesign, bioRe, and Humane Down labels, and has pledged to ban all materials containing PFCs by 2022. It’s no surprise that Mammut has always been a part of the outdoor scene, because it is environmentally friendly and highly functional.
No 3-Vaude-Fishing nets, coffee grounds, and plastic bottles are all shoe materials
Vaude, a German outdoor brand founded in 1974, is gradually using recycled materials, most notably ECONYL nylon made from recycled fishing nets as a material. In order to avoid secondary environmental damage caused by the production of ECONYL nylon, the process from cleaning, chemical depolymerization to repolymerization and is carried out in Europe without causing excess pollution. In addition to effectively recycling discarded fishing nets, Vaude also turned its brain to coffee grounds, using recycled polyester fibers from S.Café. This material mixes recycled polyester particles with coffee grounds, and because it contains bio-based, it is quick-drying, UV-resistant, and even anti-bacterial, eliminating the need to add an anti-bacterial coating.
From Vaude’s website, we can see their efforts to protect the environment, not only distinguishing a special section for eco-friendly materials, but also actively attaching the recyclable label to help consumers make earth-friendly shopping choices.
No 4-Cotopaxi – Creating a unique backpack from recycled materials
There are not many companies in the outdoor industry that have obtained B Corporation certification. Apart from Patagonia mentioned above, Cotopaxi is another well-known B Corporation. The most impressive thing about Cotopaxi is the colorful bags, each of which is unique because each piece of fabric is recycled, and the seamstress decides how to design the bag by picking up unwanted fabric and sewing it one by one. On their website, you can see that they generously show where the bags are produced, as well as the working environment and dormitories of their employees, which is really touching!
In addition to using recycled fabrics as much as possible, Cotopaxi is also actively doing its social responsibility, such as setting up a foundation to help children in remote areas, eradicate poverty, improve the quality of life, etc. I can only say that Cotopaxi is really very willing.
No 5-Costa Del Mar – Recycling Fishing Nets to Make Professional Polarized Sunglasses
According to Costa Del Mar, 640,000 tons of discarded fishing nets and gear pollute the oceans each year, and the nets can cause fish to become entangled and die. Costa Del Mar works with Bureo to collect nets from commercial fishing ports in Chile, which Bureo then processes into granular raw materials that Costa Del Mar then turns into frames. In addition, Costa Del Mar actively recycles lenses to prevent them from becoming a secondary source of contamination.
Shop organics products from here.
Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, Costa Del Mar feels the effects of human pollution on the ocean all the more acutely, as they host an annual beach cleanup event where all surfers are invited to help restore the ocean to its purest form.
No 6-Outdoor umbrella products made of eco-friendly cloth – REPT umbrella, sustainable beach umbrella – Hfumbrella
As a famous umbrella manufacturer in China, hfumbrella is the first factory to invest in the development of eco-friendly umbrella series.
In 2006, hfumbrella introduced the Italian digital printing machine, which can print with bright colors and reduce the consumption of high pollution ink.
In 2010, Coca-Cola partnered to develop an RPET fabric from recycled plastic bottles, which was used in a waterproof umbrella.
When Coca-Cola decided to launch a product to celebrate their new environmentally-conscious PlantBottle™ range, they tapped us up.
Each of our limited edition umbrellas are made using five recycled Coca-Cola bottles (including PlantBottle), with the design modelled on Brazilian Sugarcane, a responsibly-farmed material used for PlantBottle plastic.
Later, more and more outdoor brands sought a more environmentally friendly line of beach umbrellas, and Hfumbrella offered custom beach umbrellas to a dozen brands around the world.
Not only is the umbrella surface environmentally friendly, but the umbrella bones are also made of recycled bamboo, the tassels are made of 100% recycled cotton, and even the carton and sealing glue are made of recycled materials. The true sense of environmental protection.
The most direct way to guard the environment is to reduce waste and reuse, so also to remind everyone that equipment does not necessarily have to buy the latest, rent, buy second-hand are also very good friendly environment action! Also welcome more outdoor brands to develop more useful environmentally friendly products.
