Backcountry Beacon

The concept Green is all too often just another marketing ploy—a way to lure consumers into feeling a little less guilty and to allow marketers to mark up prices. Even at Backcountry.com, where the scent of patchouli lingers in the hall and the fridge is crammed full of organic burritos, hypocrisy is rampant (I wonder what the carbon footprint of driving 16 hours to go kayaking last weekend was?).

We know that the products we sell, and are addicted to ourselves, come at an environmental cost. It takes oil to make my polyester long underwear and chemicals to get the funk out after wearing it for a week. Though we can’t eliminate all of the environmental costs of using and selling outdoor gear, we can try to minimize our impact. Backcountry.com replaced all its old lights with CFL and T-5 fluorescent bulbs, which has reduced its power bill by 30%, and has offset all of its remaining electricity usage with wind power. It’s a start.

As a consumer, you can limit the environmental impact of your addiction, too. By asking a few questions before buying a new piece of gear, you can make yourself, and the earth, happier with your purchase. Here are some questions to think about:

1. Will the product last?

Ultimately, the item you’re buying will go in a landfill once it wears out unless, of course, you recycle it (see below) or sell it online to some poor sucker. You can limit this waste by choosing the highest quality gear possible. Companies such as The North Face, Patagonia, Kelty, Arc’teryx, GoLite, Columbia, as well as many other manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on their products. (To clarify, that’s not your lifetime but a product’s expected life.) If something breaks, send it in, and they’ll either repair it for free or fix it for a small charge.

Recycle your gear!

Patagonia’s Common Threads program recycles old Patagonia Capilene, Patagonia T-shirts and fleece, as well as Polartec fleece from other manufacturers. The program even takes some Patagonia polyester and nylon shirts—look for the Common Threads tag. Simply mail your old garment to Patagonia, or drop it off at one of Patagonia’s retail locations. From the retail locations, the garments are shipped to Reno, NV, then to a recycling facility in Japan. The impact of shipping to Japan is not significant because the container ships usually travel empty to Japan anyway. Your old fleece will be reincarnated into a brand-new garment, ready for another lifetime of outdoor adventure.

2. Is the product multifunctional?

Backpacks are cool, but do you really need a crag pack, ultralight pack, overnight pack, and an expedition pack? Can you use your waterproof shell for climbing and skiing instead of buying two? Many pieces of gear can be used for multiple activities. For example, a light windbreaker or windshirt can be used for climbing, backpacking, cycling, or hiking. A 4000-cubic-inch (69L) pack could be used for climbing, lightweight backpacking, or even ski or snowboard tours.

3. Is the product the right fit?

There’s no point in buying gear you won’t use. If a piece of gear doesn’t fit your needs, it’s more likely to end up in your attic or, once you’re over the denial, in a landfill (another option is to donate it). Read or submit customer reviews and Q&As on any Backcountry.com products or chat up a Gearhead; Backcountry’s goal is to set you up with a piece of gear that matches your needs. Please take advantage, and give our customer service reps another excuse to talk gear.

4. Does the product use “green” materials?

Organic Cotton-
It takes 5 ounces of chemicals to grow enough cotton for one T-shirt. About 90% of those chemicals end up in streams, the soil, or in our bodies. Conventionally grown cotton accounts for 25% of all insecticides and 10% of all pesticides used globally. Organic cotton production has significantly less environmental impact and is generally healthier for workers and neighboring communities. In order for cotton to be deemed organic, it must be grown for at least three years without these harmful chemicals. You’ll find organic cotton in apparel by Horny Toad, Planet Earth, Patagonia, prAna, and others.

Hemp-
The oldest cultivated fiber known (it’s a weed, man), hemp requires relatively little water to grow and, per acre of land, it produces 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax. It’s extremely durable and very mildew-resistant, though it’s not as soft as cotton. If it weren’t for the antiquated political fury over industrial hemp’s forgetful cousin, we’d all be driving hemp-powered cars and reading our NORML newsletters on hemp paper. You’ll find hemp in products from prAna, Hemp Hoodlamb, and Simple.

Wool-
Wool has been used in clothing for more than 12,000 years, and for good reason—it naturally regulates temperature, wicks moisture, resists mildew, resists odor, and is flame retardant (key for sustainable bonfire jumping). However, not all wool is created equal. The environmental impact of wool depends on grazing practices at the source ranch and how the wool is processed at the textile factory. Patagonia wool baselayers are typically treated with a gentle, biodegradable eco-wash, not the chlorine wash that some other manufacturers use. Ibex, SmartWool, and Patagonia buy their wool from sheep ranches that use responsible grazing practices. Recently, all New Zealand sheep ranchers (where Ibex, SmartWool, Patagonia, and Icebreaker get their merino wool) pledged to phase out the cruel practice of mulesing. You’ll find wool in products from Ibex, Icebreaker, and SmartWool, among others.

Recycled Materials-
Using recycled materials cuts down on the need to use virgin materials and keeps waste out of landfills. Of course, there is a hidden cost to recycling—the energy used for transportation and the chemicals used in processing all have an environmental footprint. However, in many cases, recycling is still more efficient than using raw materials. Patagonia has been using recycled soda bottles to make their Synchilla fleece garments for years. In fact, the company uses recycled material throughout its product line.

The use of recycled materials isn’t limited to clothing. Osprey offers the Resource Series. Each pack in this series features fabric made from at least 70% recycled materials. Osprey makes the pack body out of Recycled PET and molds the buckles out of reground plastic scrap. More environmentally friendly practices are being applied to footwear as well. Simple and Ocean Minded offer shoes with recycled tires for soles.

Other Materials-
Some hardgoods manufacturers are using more environmentally conscious materials these days, too. For example, Arbor uses sustainably harvested maple, koa, and bamboo wood in its longboards. The fastest growing woody plant species on earth, bamboo can be harvested in three to five years, versus 10-20 years for most softwood species. Other manufacturers are finding innovative uses for bio plastics. Capita makes snowboards such as the Green Machine with biodegradable bean-derivative topsheets, and Atomic made this ski boot’s shell of bio-plastic made from recycled plastic and castor plants.

5. What else is the manufacturer doing to limit its environmental impact?

Using eco-friendly materials doesn’t make a company Green. The best companies have adopted sustainable practices throughout their entire operation. For example, in 2005, prAna made the commitment to offset electrical energy usage at 250 prAna retailers across the country, its corporate headquarters, and the homes of its full-time employees by buying Green-e certified tradeable renewable energy certificates. Other outdoor companies are stepping up to the plate, as well. GoLite aims to be entirely carbon neutral (including its partner factories) and a zero-waste business. La Sportiva has been using wind power since 2005 and has recently teamed up with Eco-Cycle to work toward the goal of becoming a zero waste company. Patagonia takes environmental consciousness further than any company in the industry. Patagonia gives environmental grants to grassroots organizations and helped start the Conservation Alliance in 1989. Because Patagonia realizes that, no matter how hard it (or any other company) tries, it can never completely eliminate its environmental impact, so the company pays a self-imposed environmental tax—1% of sales go to environmental causes. In 2001, Craig Mathews and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard started 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that pledge to pay the 1% enviro-tax. Vendors such as Sigg and Mountain Khakis all have taken the 1% for the Planet pledge.

Author’s Rant

It’s no surprise that outdoor-oriented companies have led the charge toward greener business models, manufacturing techniques, and materials. Their (and our) customer base has a much deeper connection to the natural world than most of the population. Even though the term “Green” may be being subverted by mainstream marketers, the trend is a testament to a shifting consciousness and impact companies like Patagonia have made on the larger market place. Industry leaders like Patagonia, GoLite, and Of the Earth may make mistakes and fall victim to hypocrisy at times, but they are making the learning curve less steep for others and proving economic and ecological principles can coexist. Ultimately, the wave of companies looking to attain “Green” status is fueled by environmentally conscious gearheads like you and me. Each purchase you make (or don’t make) tells manufacturers what is important to you. With some foresight, you can turn your buying power into a statement of values, and that’s what truly green consumerism is all about.

Related Posts:

• The Great White(bark) Fight
• A Touch of Green
• More Outdoor Giving

Tags: environment, green