RESPECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

We know that some materials, processes and chemicals used in our products and production processes are harmful to the environment – when you think about it, most outdoor gear is made from plastic or made from things that are dug up from the ground (we’re talking metals, not potatoes!). We seek to minimise that harm without compromise to performance or quality.

WHAT WE’RE PROUD OF

1. 100% PFOA-free

2. 82% of our clothing range is PFC-free

3. 89% organic/BCI cotton

4. 15 clothing lines made with recycled content

5. 90% recycled content in packaging

6. 100% BFR-free flame retardants

7. Less than 20% air freight

8. Founder members of the Single Use Plastic Project and Microfibre Consortium

PFOA-Free - The waterproofs that we all wore throughout the 1980’s to 2010’s were treated with perfluorooctanoic acid(commonlyknownasPFOA) tohelp rainwater bead away in bad weather rather than wet out. These compounds are now known to be harmful and have been found to build up in the environment, human body and Polar Bears. We stopped using PFOA in 2016.

This Year We Will

1. 100% PFC-free DWRs

2. Reduce air freight to 10%

3. Review chemical usage in our production process

4. Conduct life-cycle reviews of some key products

5. Calculate our complete UK carbon footprint

6. Move to 100% recyclable or compostable packaging

7. Move to 100% organic/BCI cotton

Double the number of products made with

PFC-Free - Modern waterproofs are treated with poly-flourinated chemicals rather than PFOA to help water bead away in bad weather rather than wet out. Whilst these breakdown quicker than PFOA they still cause damage. Alpkit is one of the few brands moving to completing PFC-free high performance waterproofs in 2020.

BFR-Free - Many tents are treated with flame retardents so they don’t burn as quickly in the event of fire. However research shows these chemicals are toxic and tents are safer for you without them.

BCI Cotton - The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a global organisation which encourages sustainable cotton farming through training, reducing environmental impact and poor work practices. (And it still feels super soft.)