Inside Outdoor Magazine - Fall 2018

Inside Outdoor | FALL 2018 28 Ingredients A merican business has thrived following the classic tenets of mar- keting. The four P’s of price, product, place- ment and place has dominated business strategy since the 1960s. Since the turn of the 21st century, the outdoor industry has examined the impact that manufacturing of technical equipment, apparel and footwear have had on the environment. In turn, mea- sures of business success now include reducing air, water and landscape pol- lution. Once merely a buzzword linked to the use of recycled paper and soy ink for the production of product hang- tags, sustainability now influences ba- sic decisions on raw materials, sourc- ing and production processes. Patagonia has been a strong advo- cate for sustainable use of organic cot- ton, recycled nylon and polyester, and providing its customers with a transpar- ent view of the company’s supply chain. And for the last decade, Outdoor Indus- try Association’s Sustainability Working Group has examined critical supply chain issues such as chemicals man- agement and carbon reduction tools. In July 2018, OIA announced the findings of the first “The State of Sustain- ability in the Outdoor Industry” report. The research project surveyed 120 small, medium and large outdoor brands to formally quantify the industry’s work to reduce the environmental impact of producing the technical apparel, gear and footwear used for outdoor recreation. The report’s results establish a baseline for monitoring future performance in cre- ating sustainable business practices. Documenting results also allow the in- dustry to promote its achievements to key stakeholders such as retailers, nonprofits, government agencies and consumers. One of the primary motivations for outdoor industry companies to exam- ine sustainability was a belief in the industry’s role in promoting the greater good, said Nikki Hodgson, sustainable business innovation manager at OIA. “Whether you’re a small company or large company, it was interesting to us to see that the sustainability priorities are the same,” she said. Sustainable business practices are being embraced by every step of the supply chain. While some companies are changing existing manufacturing pro- cesses, other companies include sustain- ability in their company’s core values. e.dye Waterless Color System, with offices in Portland, Ore., Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and headquarters in Kunshan, China, has mastered a solution dye process that significantly reduces water pollution. Traditional industrial dye- ing processes, originally designed to dye cotton and wool, use superheated water mixed with dyestuffs and chemicals to cover synthetic fibers with color. At least three gallons of water are needed for each yard of dyed fabric. Water used in textile manufacturing leaves the process tainted with chemicals and polluted. Likewise, a new report, “Measuring Fashion: Insights from the Environmental Impact of the Global Apparel and Foot- wear Industries” by Quantis, notes that 36 percent of apparel manufacturing’s impact on the environment, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, comes from dyeing and finishing processes. According to The National Resourc- es Defense Council (NRDF) the textile apparel industry is one of the biggest contributors to water pollution. Textile manufacturing generates one-fifth of the world’s industrial water pollution. By Lou DzIerzak Colors of Sustainability Outdoor brands redefining business disciplines Cones of e-dye’s eco-friendlier fibers GHG Emissions of Lifecycle Stages of Apparel (Percent of total industry impact) Fiber production 15% Yarn preparation 28% Fabric preparation 12% Dyeing & Finishing 36% Assembly 7% Distribution 1.3% End of life 0.3% Source: Quantis