Why It Matters

Man-made materials generally come from non-renewable sources, and often end up in landfills or the ocean at the end of their lifecycle. By incorporating more recycled content into our products, we reduce the energy used to produce new materials and repurpose what would otherwise become waste in the environment. Balancing weather performance and ecological impact with materials is a challenge, but our signature approach of iteratively improving, experimenting and introducing new techniques will help us reach this balance.

Where We Are Today

As of 2026, we've made great strides towards increasing the recycled content of our line. In 2020, 45% of the jackets we produced were made with at least 40% recycled content. In 2021, 71% of our jackets contained at least some recycled man-made materials. In 2025, 100% of jackets used 100% recycled outer fabrics; some with 100% recycled-material fabrics. As we replace inventory, we're finding ways to incorporate more recycled content into existing pieces.

Additionally, we continue to refurbish and resell returned garments that are not quite at end of life, offering them during our semi-annual warehouse sales.

Why It Matters

It's about pollution, yes, but it's also about the impact managing these materials and processes has on the people working with them, and their immediate communities. From the types of chemicals and materials used to the protections in place for the people working with those materials, as well as how the byproducts are managed, bluesign® takes a holistic approach.

Where We Are Today

We are already using bluesign® certified dyes on our new Clean Color apparel collection, and plan to expand that line with each factory build, eventually moving to bluesign® certified dyes for all our products. The factory that produces 80% of our garments is already bluesign® certified, as is our primary fabric mill and we are committed to helping our other factory partners achieve bluesign® certification over the coming years. Learn more about the bluesign® system here.

We've also aligned our restricted substance list with which we require our manufacturing partners to comply with the bluesign® system. We don't use any DWR coatings that contain PFOS or PFOA. For each fabric, we consider the durability and impact on performance and environmental impact across the life of the product.

Why It Matters

The humane treatment of animals, which we believe is self-evident, is part of our commitment to environmental justice. Additionally, the best wool quality is only produced from healthy sheep, who in turn graze on healthy pasture and land. While wool is an organic material and biodegradable, it's still critical to ensure that the total impact of the farm is sustainable.

Where We Are

In 2022, we released RWS garments with each new re-order or new wool product. While our wool sources previously were already compliant, while maybe not certified, with many of the components of the Responsible Wool Standard. Our farms promote regenerative farming practices, for instance. 

Why It Matters

When a jacket, pants, socks, or other product can't be used effectively any longer, that doesn't mean all of the materials in the item are useless. Wherever it is possible to reduce waste and re-use materials, we'll be saving more junk from landfills and oceans. It's especially important for clothing articles that contain petroleum-based materials, chemicals, and dyes, as these can have a lasting impact on the environment when they are simply thrown away.

Where We Are Today

We continue to take used and returned products, and do our best to repair, clean, and offer them for resale. Each year, we hold a warehouse sale, where customers locally and nationally can purchase used items in person or online. 

We continue to explore options and locally and elsewhere in the US to help us repurpose and recycle items that can't be repaired or returned to inventory, and roll out program to customers for returning items to be recycled.

Why It Matters

The apparel industry has normalized single-use plastics, fancy printing, and paper techniques that provide minimal advantages to retailers and brands and cause significant damage to the environment. It's common for brands and manufacturers to choose the cheaper, yet more damaging, options to protect their margins, but ultimately, the world bears the expense through the damage wrought to the planet. Compounding this damage is the illogical perspective that the onus of how the packaging ends up in the environment is on the end consumer.

Where We Are Today

We're working to move away from individual polybags for all new products ordered. We've replaced our plastic hang tags with safety pins and thread, and reduced our total paper usage in all our hang tags. The reduction in hang tag size on our outerwear for one style alone resulted in a savings of 70,000 square inches of card stock, a weight equivalent of 30lbs! We've also transitioned to using less packaging overall for our socks and gloves. Our hang tags are now made from recycled paper, uncoated, and can be recycled or composted.

Why It Matters

The sources of energy, as well as the by-products of energy usage can be major contributors to global warming. Specifically, burning fossil fuels to power our vehicles and power our buildings add to the dramatic increase in carbon that is responsible for global warming. By utilizing less energy, and ensuring our energy is coming from renewable sources that do not produce excess carbon, we can make a difference.

Where We Are Today

Many of our employees bike to work every day, and we now have an all-electric company vehicle. We use 100% renewable energy to power our building, including wind and solar. In 2020, we used 12,060 kWh of renewable energy, preventing 18,799lbs of carbon dioxide from entering the air.