Sustainability Spotlight

Leather is everywhere in the outdoor industry: boots, bags, climbing shoes, even decals and zipper pulls on backpacks and jackets. But why? For ages, leather has been the material of choice for sturdy, “natural,” durable gear that lasts. But now that other materials are available, do we really need leather? And is leather sustainable? While many in the industry would say yes, citing that it came from nature and will eventually biodegrade back to nature, leather is far from natural and neither sustainable nor environmentally responsible. But how does it stack up against competitors and substitutes like synthetic materials and faux leather? We’ll break it down and take a look at why you might want to ditch leather.

Sunscreen. It’s a summer staple. A product ubiquitous in beach bags, backpacks, and drugstores the world over. It protects our skin while we’re out in the world exploring and keeps us from looking like leather couches as we age. But could the sunscreen we use be doing as much damage to the environment as it’s doing good for our body’s largest organ? Turns out, a lot of the ingredients in suscreen damages coral reefs (which are not only a natural wonder, but living things, remember), makes ocean life sick, and contaminates waterways. How can we avoid such destruction while still preventing skin cancer? With reef safe sunscreen, of course! We rounded up five quality options that are not only reef friendly, but vegan, too, so you can wander (and swim) on!

Lots of brands tout organic cotton as better for the environment than conventional cotton. But what’s the difference? Is organic cotton really that much more sustainable than conventionally grown cotton? We investigated so we could all make better choices when it comes to sustainable apparel. So check out our comparison of conventional cotton vs organic cotton and see for yourself which comes out on top.

We’re all about sustainability when it comes to adventure. So we reached out to learn more about Cotopaxi, sustainability, and what it means for all of us.

We love innovative brands and gear. Especially if they can help us get outside more and enjoy nature without leaving such a big ‘ol ugly footprint. And if there’s one …

Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t: It’s lyocell (also known as Tencel, Newcell or Excel if you’re talking brand names), and it’s one of the newer sustainable fabrics …

More and more clothing manufacturers are releasing products made from hemp. And that’s a win. But why? What’s the deal with hemp? Why is it a better material than, say, …

The fashion industry (which includes outdoor apparel and footwear) accounts for over 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (those are the harmful gases mucking up our climate). According to …