{"id":20895,"date":"2017-09-29T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2017-09-29T16:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=20895"},"modified":"2020-07-07T22:44:37","modified_gmt":"2020-07-08T05:44:37","slug":"2017-sustainable-gear-roundup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/2017-sustainable-gear-roundup","title":{"rendered":"How Sustainability Standards Are Changing the Face of Gear\u2014and the Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your relationship with outdoor clothing and gear probably looks a lot like this: You buy it, you use it\/love it dearly, and at some point you retire it. Not everybody has the time or expertise to understand the full environmental and social impact of the products we buy. We get it. Product sustainability<\/a> is a complicated topic. Our goal: Make it easier to understand and help you find products that are good for people and the planet.<\/p>\n

As a co-op, we\u2019re dedicated to promoting the health of the outdoors and having a positive effect on communities<\/a>. But we recognize every piece of clothing and gear has an environmental and social footprint. So, we look closely at the products we sell and aim to continuously improve their impacts. We focus on maximizing the positive things (like advancing fair, safe and healthy working conditions for manufacturers) and minimizing the environmental footprint (such as the use of energy, materials, water and chemicals).<\/p>\n

\u201cPurchasing a product may seem like a small action. However, every time we buy a more sustainable product, we send a message that we care about sustainability and that we support a better way of making products,\u201d said Greg Gausewitz, REI\u2019s Product Sustainability Manager.<\/p>\n

We recently published a series of Expert Advice articles<\/a> on sustainability, meant to help our customers understand the most relevant product attributes and certifications. We have close to 1,800 styles with at least one of the sustainability attributes we highlighted, including organically grown cotton<\/a>, recycled materials<\/a>, bluesign<\/a>, Fair Trade<\/a>, the Responsible Down Standards (RDS) and several others. In the coming months and years, we plan to offer an even greater range of more sustainable products.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a closer look at a handful of products that REI is carrying this fall that utilize some of these sustainability solutions. These products demonstrate how brands are integrating sustainability into their products and helping move the industry forward.<\/p>\n

REI Co-op Magma 17 and Magma 10 Sleeping Bags<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Why is this product more sustainable?<\/strong> Responsible Down Standard-certified down and bluesign\u00ae-certified fabric<\/p>\n

\"REI<\/p>\n

The REI Co-op women\u2019s Magma 17 and men’s Magma 10 sleeping bags have a lot going for them. They\u2019re lightweight and super cozy, and feature water-resistant 850-fill goose down. They won a 2017 Editors\u2019 Choice Award from Backpacker<\/em> magazine, as well. Simply put, the Magma bags give you the best warmth-to-weight ratio we offer. Plus, the down they contain is certified to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).<\/p>\n

In the fall of 2015, REI adopted the RDS for 100 percent of down insulation in REI Co-op brand products, from sleeping bags to jackets. This ensures the down used in our products comes from ethically treated fowl. Independent, professional certification bodies inspect each part of the down supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that our members care about the well-being of animals, including the ducks and geese that the down in our products comes from. The RDS provides assurance that certified down comes from ducks and geese that were treated well and that were not subjected to inhumane practices, such as live plucking or force feeding,\u201d Gausewitz said.<\/p>\n

In addition to RDS-certified down, the fabric used in the Magma bags is bluesign certified. The bluesign system aims to prevent potentially hazardous chemicals from ever entering the manufacturing process. So, the bluesign system not only supports safer products, but also reduces impacts to the people who manufacture products and the environment where they\u2019re made.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Responsible Down Standard<\/a> and bluesign<\/a>.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Shop Women’s<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 Shop Men’s<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Burton Deja Vu and Process Flying V Snowboards <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Why is this product more sustainable?<\/strong> Forest Stewardship Council\u2122 (FSC) certified wood core and use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology<\/p>\n

\"Burton<\/p>\n

The strength, weight and performance of a snowboard comes, in large part, from its core. Composed of many different types of wood, it\u2019s considered \u201cthe main ingredient.\u201d Burton\u2019s highest-end cores can have up to 500 different wood pieces and lamination.<\/p>\n

\u201cBurton has strong environmental commitments and that really stems from our reliance on the environment as our playground to enjoy the sport. As a snowboard company, it made sense for us to start by focusing on the boards,\u201d said Jenn Swain, Sustainable Innovation Project Manager at Burton.<\/p>\n

So, beginning with its Family Tree line, Burton began an initiative in 2014 to ensure all its snowboard cores were FSC certified, meaning they have been sourced from responsibly managed forests. FSC certification promotes responsible forestry by addressing both environmental and non-environmental concerns associated with the sourcing of wood and wood products.<\/p>\n

Some of those environmental concerns include: deforestation, converting natural forests to plantations or non-forest uses, and the use of genetically-modified trees. Among the non-environmental concerns are: the violation of the rights of indigenous people to their land, the risk of illegal harvesting, and the potential for the timber trade in a region to drive armed conflict.<\/p>\n

Two years later, Burton reached the milestone of having 100 percent of its wood cores FSC certified, including the cores in the Deja Vu women\u2019s snowboard and the Process Flying V men\u2019s snowboard.<\/p>\n

Burton also measures the environmental impacts of all its hard goods using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. They assess products \u201cfrom cradle to gate\u201d\u2014from raw materials to the finished product, and everything in between.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsing LCA software, we hone in on what matters most.\u00a0We identify areas of high environmental impact and then work to reduce those impacts by improving the design, material choices or manufacturing practices,\u201d Swain said.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Forest Stewardship Council<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shop Women’s<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 Shop Men’s<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Patagonia Better Sweater Quarter-Zip Fleece<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Why is this product more sustainable?<\/strong> Fair Trade Certified\u2122 sewing and bluesign-certified fabric<\/p>\n

\"Patagonia<\/p>\n

On the Better Sweater\u00ae Quarter-Zip Fleece tag, you\u2019ll see a Fair Trade Certified\u2122 sewing seal. That means it was manufactured in a Fair Trade-approved facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Fair Trade Certified factory upholds strong social and environmental standards and has made a commitment to working with its customer to bring the benefits of the Fair Trade program, including the premiums, to its workers,\u201d said Thuy Nguyen, Supply Chain Social Responsibility and Special Programs Manager at Patagonia.<\/p>\n

To earn this certification, a factory must meet about 200 standards in the areas of labor, human rights, health and safety. Patagonia also pays a premium for every item with the Fair Trade seal. That\u2019s truly what makes Fair Trade unique. The extra money goes directly into a community-managed bank account that belongs to the factory workers, and they decide how to use it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt [a factory in Sri Lanka, one of three that makes the Better Sweater,] we have seen workers use the money to start a daycare center, which offers free daycare to children of workers in the factory.\u00a0They have also started a health program, which offers free health education and basic necessities to workers, like undergarments and sanitary napkins,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n

Fair Trade USA launched its apparel program in 2010, and over the past several years, REI has begun carrying a growing assortment of Fair Trade Certified clothing. \u201cWe\u2019ve been pleased to see several of our brand partners\u2014including Patagonia and prAna\u2014expand their offerings of Fair Trade Certified apparel in recent years. In 2016, we also began selling a selection of Fair Trade Certified products under the REI Co-op brand,\u201d Gausewitz said.<\/p>\n

Patagonia first began offering Fair Trade clothing back in 2014 with 10 styles made in one factory. As of this fall, that number has grown to 480 styles, made in 14 factories. The Better Sweater Quarter-Zip Fleece and Vest, and Classic Synchilla\u00ae Fleece Jacket (men\u2019s and women\u2019s) are all Fair Trade Certified sewn. The Better Sweater line is also created with bluesign-certified fabric.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Fair Trade<\/a> and bluesign<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shop Women’s<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Shop Men’s<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As an outdoor company, it goes without saying that the health of the outdoors is of fundamental importance, and we must do our part to contribute. Purchasing products with sustainable attributes is one way you can make an impact. Learn more about how to choose sustainable gear and clothing<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and stewardship at REI<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your relationship with outdoor clothing and gear probably looks a lot like this: You buy it, you use it\/love it dearly, and at some point you retire it. Not everybody has the time or expertise to understand the full environmental and social impact of the products we buy. We get it. Product sustainability is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":20957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[637],"tags":[724,727,1538,424,1791,480,591],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-20895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stewardship","tag-gear","tag-latest-posts","tag-new-products","tag-rei-stewardship","tag-product-sustainability","tag-stewardship","tag-sustainability"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/2017-sustainable-gear-roundup","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"How Sustainability Standards Are Changing the Face of Gear\u2014and the Planet","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/2017-sustainable-gear-roundup","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/2017-sustainable-gear-roundup"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/09\/Sustainable-Gear-Roundup_Hero_Trees.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/09\/Sustainable-Gear-Roundup_Hero_Trees.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Stewardship","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["gear","latest posts","new products","philanthropy","product sustainability","stewardship","sustainability"],"dateCreated":"2017-09-29T16:00:53Z","datePublished":"2017-09-29T16:00:53Z","dateModified":"2020-07-08T05:44:37Z"},"rendered":"