A sustainable outdoor industry. It's possible!

There is no such thing as a sustainable outdoor brand. No matter how good our intentions are, we always leave a footprint. It could be from the chemical composition of a material, the working conditions in a factory or the effect production and transport have on the climate.

Let us explain.

Before a product ends up in the store, it goes through many processes that all leave a footprint. For example, the cotton grown for a plain cotton shirt needs around 10,000 litres of fresh water and quite a lot of chemicals. Then, resources are needed to harvest, transport, wash and prepare the cotton, after which it is weaved, dyed and sewn. Each of these processes create a negative ecological footprint in the form of freshwater use, the release of carbon dioxide, and chemicals that affect the ecosystem.

But the good news is that things are changing. For many years, the entire outdoor industry has been working hard to improve the working conditions in the factories, streamline transports and create better products. All of us who work with outdoor products are passionate about a healthy nature, so it is quite natural that we are working to find solutions that will reduce our negative footprint.

Together, the industry has pushed for common systems for reducing the use of water and chemicals in cotton cultivation and fabric dyeing. To ensure good animal husbandry, there is a system for tracking the down used for our down jackets. Haglöfs is also a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, a non-profit organisation facilitating brands and other parties working together to improve the working conditions in the factories. At Haglöfs we have also developed our own shell materials free from harmful fluorocarbons, and a sole made from sugar instead of crude oil. These examples are small steps, but they are small steps towards a sustainable outdoor industry.

It’s a long journey but we will keep working to make it possible. Step by step. Detail by detail.

It’s possible!