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Every outdoors company worth their salt is focusing on their environmental impact and Icebreaker is no exception. They have been leaders in sustainability since their day one in business more than 25 years ago. To ramp up the process Icebreaker did a complete audit of its supply chain. The results are in their third Transparency Report. The purpose of the report is to provide accessible info on the companies sustainable and ethical practices so people can make informed purchases.
Greg Smith, Brand President. “We want to change the conversation around how clothes are made and the synthetics within them and make the information accessible to enable more conscious purchases. The apparel industry is the second biggest polluter in the world. As an apparel brand, we want to take charge and lead with positive change.”
The company currently uses 87% natural fiber in their garments, but is committed to upping this to 100%. They plan to hit this ambitious goal in 2023 by making tough and bold decisions. Implementations to the current year’s line include:
● Innovations such as Cool-Lite™, a natural merino and TENCEL™ blend, RealFleece®, and MerinoLoft™ are integral to the performance-driven styles of the future.
● Removal of 59 styles of synthetic-heavy styles from the entire FW20 collection
● Established the ‘Natural Materials Platform’ within VF Corporation, a cross-brand coalition to improve both performance and nature-based alternatives in apparel.
● Launched icebreaker nature dye, a sustainable alternative to synthetic dye, saving up to 65% in water usage and utilizing plant-based materials
One thing the company does not plan to do is use recycled synthetics in their clothing line. While they understand it can be a positive outcome, their decision to go 100% natural is incompatible and see natural materials as offering a better solution to the global problem of plastic waste.
