When it comes to purchasing outdoor gear, everything鈥攄urability, breathability, comfort鈥攊s relative. Evaluating a product鈥檚 environmental cred is no different. Without a clear definition and universal standards, words associated with sustainability often fall victim to misuse. So, we sought advice from Lauren Bright, a materials consultant working with some of the industry鈥檚 leading brands, to help avoid these common greenwashing traps.
Be Skeptical: Circular
Applied to gear, circularity means that a product returns to the supply chain at the end of its life鈥攖hrough reuse, recycling, or downcycling鈥攊nstead of ending up in the landfill. But it鈥檚 incredibly difficult to break down so-called circular products into raw, reusable elements, which can involve separating natural materials like cotton from synthetic materials like elastane, or stripping chemical additives and dye from protein-based fibers like wool. A 2020 study by the Biomimicry Institute shows that perfectly separating blended fibers enough to create new fabric is impossible. 鈥淚n my view, I wouldn鈥檛 say that anyone is doing it well right now,鈥 Bright says. True circularity, Bright says, would require designing a next-generation bio-based textile, like a fiber made from tree bark that has no chemical additives.
Be Skeptical: Biodegradable or Compostable
Some brands claim that their gear is either biodegradable or compostable. And while their efforts are a step in the right direction, what they actually mean is that the materials will degrade under very specific conditions in an industrial composter. 鈥淓ven if you put a cotton rag that hasn鈥檛 been chemically treated in the middle of the desert, it is unlikely to biodegrade for a very long period of time,鈥 Bright says. Unfortunately, not all landfills support biodegradation: Many municipalities won鈥檛 even accept certain textiles鈥攐r even compostable flatware鈥攄espite the fact that they鈥檝e passed industrial compostability tests. All that is to say: Be wary of any brands encouraging you to bury a puffy in your backyard.
Trust It: Traceable
At its most basic level, traceability means that companies can prove how and where every ingredient in a product was sourced. For example, the Responsible Down Standard can verify that the down in your puffy came from a farm that does not live-pluck geese. But while some brands work directly with domestic and overseas factories, many factories outsource labor and materials to keep prices low鈥攖hus complicating attempts at traceability. Luckily, new technologies like blockchain and fiber genetics are advancing the textile industry鈥檚 ability to track a product鈥檚 origins. If a brand is transparent about its traceability methods, you鈥檒l likely know whether or not to trust their system.
Be Skeptical: Regenerative
The term 鈥渞egenerative鈥 has replaced 鈥渙rganic鈥 as the hottest new label in the world of sustainable fabrics. But while organic farming isn鈥檛 always beneficial for local ecosystems, regenerative agriculture has the potential to create healthy, nutrient-rich soils, rather than depleting the land as is so often the case with monoculture-based textiles. The term has started to crop up as brands like The North Face and Patagonia explore regenerative cotton. The collaboration between gear companies, farmers, and scientists is still in its infancy. Do your own research before fully trusting this label: Universal standards and practices have yet to be developed.
Trust It: Upcycled
We鈥檙e finally seeing brands invest in upcycling operations to account for a product鈥檚 end of life, either by using leftover material, repairing returns for resale, or turning discarded items into something new. 鈥淓verything is repairable,鈥 Bright says. 鈥淲e just choose not to do it to continue our capitalistic cycles.鈥 When we embrace patches and mismatched thread colors鈥攁nd start buying repurposed rather than new garments鈥攚e inevitably lessen trips to the landfill. But be cautious of take-back programs that promise to fix or reuse items: In some cases, items end up in the trash or shipped to other countries to be burned.