![]() ![]() I took the bus to my roommate’s dad’s office. I actually did my informational interview. Or watch the site in the coming weeks as we upload more.Happy last day of the Consumption Junction blog!! To read this article in its entirety, pick up the latest issue of Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine out now. Nowhere is that more needed than in the ski and snowboard industry. A growing list of companies and associations are working to help us make more sustainable choices. But we don’t think about the impact the gear we buy has on the world.” But things are changing. At the end of its life, that gear gets thrown in the landfill. “As people that choose to enjoy the outdoors and prefer human power to four-stroke recreation, we think we’re really green,” says Brian LaPlante, an outdoor industry veteran. Every year people like me tell you to go buy something new. Raw materials are full of chemicals, and manufacturing is energy intensive and uses massive amounts of water. Most of us seem to be in denial that the gear we use for recreation has an impact on the environment. ![]() The challenges are greater on this side of the industry, but still, companies should be doing the work to make their products more sustainable. Researching this article, I struggled to find a bike brand working to reduce its environmental impact. Only a few ski brands, and none of the big players, mention sustainability efforts. On the other side of the store, where you find the hard goods, like skis, snowboards, bikes, and tents, the conversation is mostly crickets. That’s about what one human needs to survive for a year. Because water is used throughout the production and lay-up process-in resins, chemical washes, cooling, cleaning, and more-it’s a water-intensive material to make: it consumes an astonishing 2,300 litres per frame. The study compared a carbon-fibre Roubaix road-bike frame to a comparable aluminum model. Sure, some of these endeavours are marketing hot air, but most of them are legitimate. Brands talk about the steps they are taking to make sure working conditions are safe and wages fair, about the work-life balance of their employees, about shifting from carbon-heavy processes and energy sources to more efficient ones, about using recycled and organic raw materials, about advocating for and donating money to the environment, with third-party certification and audits speaking to these efforts. Mostly on the soft-goods side: think outerwear, layering tops and bottoms, sleeping bags, and the like. For the last decade sustainability has been a growing topic and focus in the outdoor gear industry. deconstructed.Īt least these days I can steer readers toward better choices. I encourage consumption and that’s the antithesis of sustainability, the idea of having the least impact on the planet, while improving people’s lives.Ībove: The Hoji boot by Dynafit. Just about every time I tap out a review, I’m telling every reader that they should trade in whatever jacket, ski, or bike they own because this one is better. I have a jacket for every possible situation. If Imelda Marcos hiked or ran, she would drool at my shoe collection. My ski rack is full of next year’s models. I test the gear, which means going mountain biking, hiking, paddling, climbing, and skiing, and then write a review. Companies send me their latest and greatest. Along with writing articles like this one, I review outdoor gear for magazines and websites. My job is sustainability’s worst nightmare. The full article can be found in the latest Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine out now. This is a sneak peak of the story by Ryan Stuart. For those hard-goods makers, the ride has just begun. Some companies that make your new jacket, gloves, and shoes have shifted toward more sustainability, but the builders of boards and bikes have larger challenges. 9 Shares Market demand and corporate consciousness have placed the manufacturing practices of many outdoor brands at a crossroads.
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