{"id":163831,"date":"2000-10-23T14:47:10","date_gmt":"2000-10-23T21:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=163831"},"modified":"2020-10-20T16:49:07","modified_gmt":"2020-10-20T23:49:07","slug":"fjallraven-the-life-cycle-of-a-product","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/fjallraven-the-life-cycle-of-a-product","title":{"rendered":"Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven: The Life Cycle of a Product"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: This article is a part of the Heritage content series<\/a>, sponsored by Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven. The article was originally published on the Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Every action has a reaction. Everywhere we go and everything we do leaves a mark. These marks can be benign, like leaving footprints in the snow on a winter hike. They can even be beneficial, like making someone smile when you surprise them with a secret stash of snacks on a camping trip. But often they can have a wide-reaching negative impact. This is particularly true when talking about our impact as human beings on the natural world around us.<\/p>\n

“Everyone of us has an environmental footprint.” – Christiane Dolva, Head of Sustainability<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We use this a lot when talking about products. The size of that environmental footprint depends on the resources we\u2019ve taken out and the emissions released when producing and shipping it. And you can take this data and calculate whether that product leaves a large or small footprint. We can look at reducing aspects of this footprint in how and where we produce. But a big part of this footprint depends on how the product is used. The footprint is based on the product\u2019s entire life cycle. So if you continue using it, the per-use footprint is reduced. If you have a product for many years rather than one or two seasons, this can make a huge difference. It also means you\u2019re less likely to buy another similar product and create another, new footprint.<\/p>\n

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Data on our environmental shoe-sizes, so to speak, form the basis of our design roadmap at Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven. And we have two key things that guide our way. The first is durability. \u201cWe choose materials that last and design constructions that can easily be repaired. This way we hope our products can physically last a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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But there is another aspect that we take very seriously, despite it being harder to measure. \u201cThe other aspect is emotional longevity,\u201d explains Christiane. \u201cThere\u2019s no point creating a durable jacket if people don\u2019t want to use it for a long time. so we try to make things as timeless and comfortable as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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But as Christiane goes onto explain, this part is almost impossible to know for sure that we\u2019re getting right. \u201cWe can test a material\u2019s durability in the lab. But how can we know that people will still want to wear\u00a0Keb Eco-Shell Jackets\u00a0<\/em>in 5, 10, 15 years from now? It depends on so many factors. We got lucky with the\u00a0Greenland Jacket.\u00a0<\/em>It\u2019s become a timeless classic. But we can only say this for sure because time has passed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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We\u2019re doing our best on this part. And so far we\u2019ve had some pretty good feedback. So many of you send in your images of old\u00a0K\u00e5nkens, Greenland Jackets, R\u00e4ven Jackets, Thermo Tents<\/em>\u00a0and so on. But only time will tell if our new products, like\u00a0Abisko Midsummer trousers\u00a0<\/em>are just as \u2018timeless\u2019 in 40 years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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But you as the wearer also have control of the life cycles of your clothes. You can decide how long you use them for \u2013 how many adventures into nature they go on. You can decide whether to repair a tear or replace a lost button rather than buying a new product. You can decide how often you wash that jacket and air that tent. Something that has a really big impact on the durability of a product and your own impact on the environment, is how much you wash it. We tend to wash our clothes way too often. My main piece of advice is to wash less. Air things instead; if you do notice a little mark or stain, hand wash just that part and if you do need to use the washing machine choose the right wash, use the correct detergent and don\u2019t under or overfill the drum.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Christiane also advises storing seasonal items correctly, aware from sunlight and air and in dry conditions. Our care and repair team also suggests fixing tears as soon as possible using a patch and replacing broken zippers and buttons yourself.<\/div>\n
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But what about at the very end of a product\u2019s life, when it can\u2019t be given away to someone else, when it really is on its last legs. \u201cRight now that\u2019s tricky,\u201d says Christiane. \u201cI\u2019m hoping that in the future there will be a centralised solution for recycling clothes like there is for glass and cardboard. But some companies can help already. They can reuse the parts of your gear that are still ok to create new or repair old products.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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We\u2019re in this together and we are looking for ways to ensure our products stand the test of time, both physically and emotionally. But a big part of your clothes\u2019 life cycle is in your hands. You can reduce your environmental footprint by reusing, repairing and recycling. Together, we can make a difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: This article is a part of the Heritage content series, sponsored by Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven. The article was originally published on the Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven blog. Every action has a reaction. Everywhere we go and everything we do leaves a mark. These marks can be benign, like leaving footprints in the snow on a winter hike. They […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":163833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[],"internal-tag":[2117],"class_list":["post-163831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","internal-tag-fjallraven-brand-landing-page"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/fjallraven-the-life-cycle-of-a-product","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Fj\u00e4llr\u00e4ven: The Life Cycle of a Product","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/fjallraven-the-life-cycle-of-a-product","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/fjallraven-the-life-cycle-of-a-product"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/10\/G-1000_Detail_Water_03.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/10\/G-1000_Detail_Water_03.jpg?fit=2046%2C1364"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chelsea Davis"}],"creator":["Chelsea Davis"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2000-10-23T21:47:10Z","datePublished":"2000-10-23T21:47:10Z","dateModified":"2020-10-20T23:49:07Z"},"rendered":"