We love sustainable brands who care about the environment and we love introducing them with you. So we recently chatted with sustainable brand Picture Organic Clothing–a brand that designs dope outerwear for all your winter adventures (and more)–to find out about who they are, what makes them tick, and a bit about their most sustainable products and practices. Read on for our Q&A!
Fleece. It’s everybody’s favorite outdoorsy (and pseudo outdoorsy) material. We love our fleece blankets and zip-ups and sleeping bag liners for how cozy and cuddly and water resistant they are. Fleece hoodies and jackets and gloves are an outdoor staple because they wick sweat and are breathable and fast-drying. But since fleece is typically made out of PET (a type of plastic), and studies show it contributes to micro plastics in our waterways, is fleece all it’s cracked up to be? And is there such a thing as sustainable fleece?
We recently got to chat with Shelby from Authenteco Travel about one of our favorite subjects: sustainable travel. But not just any sustainable travel: fully customized, eco-luxury travel for those who want to treat themselves, but do so responsibly. And that’s exactly what Authenteco specializes in. So buckle up, and let’s chat about what sustainable travel actually looks like, how to tell the difference between authentically sustainable experiences and greenwashing, and then, you know, how to call on Authenteco to treat yo’self when you’re ready for the experience of a lifetime.
We recently connected with sustainable outdoor brand Patagonia to talk about the other thing on everyone’s mind these days: voting. Why? Because the brand co-founded Time To Vote and has partnered with a whole slew of other companies (including outdoor brands like The North Face and Burton) to encourage people like you and me to get out there and vote, but also to encourage companies and brands across the states to give their employees an opportunity to perform their right (and privilege) to play a part in the political process. But what does all that mean and what does voting have to do with the outdoors? J.J. Huggins, part of the public relations and communications team at Patagonia and someone who helps manage Time to Vote filled us in.
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.
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.