Eco-Conscious Gear and Clothing at REI

Our Mission

Environmental stewardship ranks as one of REI's top priorities. This means, as a first step, that we're holding ourselves accountable to meeting ambitious goals for reducing the environmental impacts of our operations. We publically report on our progress. Learn more about REI's stewardship efforts.

As an eco-conscious company, we're aware that all the products we sell for the enjoyment of the outdoors have an impact on the environment. In fact, the environmental impact associated with the creation of products is probably larger than all other impacts we have as a company.

It's important to note that educated consumers can drive innovation through the purchasing decisions they make. Many REI customers are at the forefront of an eco-conscious mindset. With your strong support, REI is uniquely positioned to facilitate change.

We believe part of the answer lies in increasing our support for companies and products that are making progress. Ultimately, the most far-reaching solutions will stem from changes in product design, materials and manufacturing processes. In fact, we believe that through creativity and innovation, we not only can reduce negative impacts but may eventually develop solutions that have net benefits for the planet.

Our efforts around this challenging goal have only just begun.

What We're Doing Now

Currently, we're working with other members of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and have launched the OIA Eco Working Group. With more than 120 brands, retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, NGOs, and representatives from the government and academia, this group is sharing knowledge and developing a common framework to measure, report and ultimately improve on the environmental impact of outdoor gear and clothing.

It's complex work, but together we're making great headway.

In the coming year, we're looking forward to working with the OIA Eco Working Group to roll out new informational tools that we think will be instrumental in helping designers and our supply chain make a difference.

Find out what else we're doing.

Learn about current product stewardship efforts at REI.

Eco-Conscious Gear and Clothing From Other Brands

Currently, the best means we have for identifying eco-conscious items from our vendors is looking for key specs (organic cotton, recycled content, etc.) in the product information they provide us.

It's not yet an exact science. The format and context for information is far from being standardized, consistent and reliable across the supply chain. Accurately defining environmental impact is complex work and many eco-conscious concepts are continuing to evolve. There are trade-offs made with nearly every decision in the design, manufacturing, transportation, use and end-of-life stages. We believe that what we're calling eco-conscious today might not qualify as eco-conscious tomorrow. But we also understand that our customers want to support products that are making progress.

To help make your shopping decisions easier in this respect, we've collected these items, along with our ecoSensitive clothing, all in one place:

Shop all eco-conscious gear and clothing at REI.

The Future

We're excited about the direction we're headed. We are seriously committed to this cause and recognize that our work has implications which go far beyond the outdoor industry. We'll post new information on our progress in the months to come. Thanks for your interest in eco-conscious gear and clothing at REI!