Many brands are currently working on improving the durability of their products. The EU will soon be demanding this of all clothing manufacturers. Waterproof jackets should also last longer and be more durable. What is the industry doing to achieve this and what can consumers do to extend the lifespan of their jacket? And how do you actually measure the durability of a jacket?
Waterproof jackets are the epitome of outdoor clothing. It was only when Bob Gore discovered the possibilities of stretched PTFE for the production of breathable and waterproof membranes in 1969, thus laying the foundation for Gore-Tex, that the outdoor clothing segment and trade developed into a huge international growth market. There are now numerous other technical solutions and suppliers that make clothing waterproof and breathable. However, as indispensable as waterproof jackets are in the outdoor market today, they are also problematic for the environment.
Waterproof outdoor jackets consist almost exclusively of petroleum-based outer fabrics (e.g. polyester) laminated with a petroleum-based membrane. In the case of Gore-Tex, for example, with a membrane made of PTFE or the new ePE membrane made of polyethylene. Once bonded together, the outer fabric and membrane cannot be separated again, which makes recycling considerably more difficult. "Gore-Tex laminates are not yet recycled," says Hannu Haslach from the Gore Fabric Marketing team. And as long as recycling is not yet available, these jackets end up either in waste incineration or in landfill, where they take centuries to decompose. Considering how many of these jackets come onto the market every year, that's a lot of waste for the future.
In addition, waterproof jackets require a water-repellent finish on the outer fabric, also known as DWR (Durable Water Repellency), so that the fabric does not become saturated and thus impair breathability. Until a few years ago, almost 100 percent of these DWRs were made of polyfluorocarbon, better known as PFC or PFAS. This abbreviation stands for a group of chemicals that are at least suspected of being harmful to health and the environment, which is why Greenpeace has been campaigning against them for years and the EU is considering a ban. It has taken a long time to find an equivalent and environmentally friendly alternative to PFCs - and it has still not been completely successful. PFCs are therefore still used in workwear and protective clothing. But the good news is that the outdoor industry has now largely banned them from its products.
If there are no recycling solutions yet and no rapid progress is expected in the development of more sustainable materials, what could a solution look like that would make a waterproof jacket more sustainable? How can the ecological footprint of such a high-tech jacket be reduced? In a life cycle analysis, W.L. Gore found that 65 percent of the CO₂ footprint is attributable to production, around 34 percent to the use phase and one percent to the end of life. Making materials and production facilities more climate-friendly therefore has a major impact. "But the industry is producing more and more products, often with less and less quality, which are used by consumers for shorter and shorter periods of time," says Marie Mawe, Director Sustainability Engagement of the Gore-Tex Fabrics Division. "This automatically increases pollution and waste. Even if the ecological footprint of our clothing improves step by step during production, the sheer volume of new products will outweigh this positive effect." The most effective approach would therefore be to produce fewer items of clothing and extend the useful life of the products.
It is not only the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) that requires clothing to last longer, more and more outdoor brands are also developing strategies to ensure their products can be used for longer. This starts with "Design for Durability" and includes not only product quality and the materials used, but also the provision of detailed care instructions, the guarantee of repairability and repair services through to the sale of second-hand products.
When it comes to product care, waterproof jackets still have a lot to do. "Some people believe that a Gore-Tex jacket should not be washed, but the opposite is true," says Sander Effring, Account Marketing Specialist at W. L. Gore. In order to maintain full functionality for a long time, the jackets must be washed regularly and cleaned of dirt, sweat, sun cream etc.. This also washes out the DWR over time, which needs to be reactivated with heat (in the dryer or with an iron) or refreshed by re-impregnating. "Care is becoming increasingly important for everyone," says Hannu Haslach, referring to the new DWRs. "There is no longer such a strong treatment as we had with the PFC DWRs. New DWRs are more susceptible to sweat and grease, which is why they are not yet an alternative for protective clothing." It is therefore becoming increasingly important to care for a waterproof jacket correctly so that it retains its function and is used for as long as possible. This applies not only to waterproof jackets, but also to soft shells and water-repellent textiles without a membrane. They will all require more care in future in order to last longer.
At Gore, questions about the care of Gore-Tex products have been among the three most frequently asked questions by customers on the international service hotline for decades. Videos with care instructions also regularly achieve high click rates on the website and in social media. This also applies to brand partners and retailers, who are now focusing more on this topic. "Gore, as well as retailers and the industry, must pass this knowledge on to consumers," says Haslach. That's why proper care has long been part of training courses for sales staff in retail and for brand partners.
Gore further strengthened its commitment two years ago with the launch of the "Gore-Tex Gear Tour": Gore tours Europe and cooperates with retailers to educate consumers about the care of Gore-Tex products and repair products on site. The company has also established partnerships for the repair of Gore-Tex products and set up 35 officially certified Gore-Tex repair centers. If the repair is carried out there, the "Guaranteed To Keep You Dry" promise remains valid.
The intention to bring more durable and longer-lasting products onto the market so that fewer new products need to be purchased is understandable and correct. It is more difficult to find a definition of what durability actually means so that this term can be brought to life in future European legislation, for example. There is currently no method for measuring the shelf life of products, even though it is the key to a more sustainable industry. In spring 2023, Mittuniversitetet in Sweden initiated a global research project with the aim of creating a common industry standard measurement that takes product function and performance into account.
"We understand very well when a product fails in the early phase of use, because then the warranty case occurs and the product is complained about. Then the manufacturers get the product back and can draw conclusions for improvements. But we know very little about which criteria lead consumers to throw away a product after many years," said Dr. Judith Waller, Louisa Nilsson and Isabell Vorne from the Sports Tech Research Centre at Mittuniversitetet in their presentation at the last OutDoor (3 - 5 June 2024 in Munich).
Using 318 discarded waterproof jackets from different manufacturers that consumers have given to the researchers, the team wants to determine which functional aspects users consider to be the cause of the end of the service life and compare these with the defects the clothing actually had. After all, it is not only objective, purely functional criteria that determine useful life. Subjective, emotional aspects such as aesthetics, brand identity or comfort are just as important. The aim is to develop a test protocol for measuring the durability of jackets that reflects actual use.
The research work is not due to be completed until 2026. However, the evaluation of the jackets shows that the condition of the jackets sent in varied greatly, with 2.5-layer jackets, for example, being in a particularly poor condition. In general, the neck, hood and front areas showed the most defects and signs of wear. The industry could derive specific opportunities for improvement from this. But here too, product care remains a key lever and the help of consumers is essential. "The question that has already emerged from our results so far is whether the deterioration of the product could be prevented by avoiding care errors and through better care. It would be good if we could reduce the number of these errors," says Judith Waller. She therefore also wants to find out at what point you would have to intervene in order to improve the shelf life through proper care.
"Sustainability has become the standard and is a given for all winners in one way or another," write our colleagues about the text trends at OutDoor 2024. But what exactly does that mean? Some kind of key figures on product labels, nice slogans on the brands' "Our Values" landing pages and opaque recycling offers? As nice as the abundance of ideas is, the inflationary use of the term "sustainability" is also dangerous. It is slowly but surely becoming devalued and ultimately untrustworthy, keyword: greenwashing.
It is certainly true to a large extent that the outdoor industry is a pioneer when it comes to sustainability. There is a consensus that circular supply chains could be the solution to many problems. But how do we actually achieve Net Zero? What are the really important next steps?
Sorry to say: it won't work without hard facts and figures. Monitoring is the topic of the hour. How unfun, isn't it? Fortunately, some industry experts have already developed really good methods and technologies to measure the environmental impact of circular supply chains. At OutDoor 2024, there were not only motivating impulses, but also monitoring tools that you can use to get started right away.
"You have to play detective and collect as much data as possible," says Bowie Willis at OutDoor 2024. The textile designer has trained as an expert in LCAs in order to better understand the environmental impact of a product's life cycle and to make visible which adjustments can be made to reduce emissions.
This requires perseverance, but is definitely worth it, says Willis. LCAs are the best tool for becoming proactive: Identifying hotspots in a product's life cycle and then taking action.
The life cycle of a product includes
Let's start at the beginning. There are an infinite number of data gaps to fill in the supply chain. Who knows exactly what fuel the yarn manufacturer's dye supplier is using? And in which vehicle at all?
Because Ortovox wants to know exactly, a team developed its own supply chain monitoring concept within a year as part of the ProtACT Academy. All those involved in the supply chain are asked to provide information once a year by means of a questionnaire. The evaluation is based on certificates such as OEKO TEX, Higg FSLM verified or bluesign. Classification into one of the three categories that are eligible for cooperation at Ortovox is also based on social factors such as working conditions, working hours and wages.
"The complete supply chain information enables much better documentation and therefore significantly better risk management. Our supply chains are transparent and the workload is reduced," reports Chemical Manager Anna Mack's team. The monitoring tool is accessible to everyone and is free to use. There will be a ProtACT Academy webinar on July 4, 2024 via European Outdoor Group.
As useful as it is to have complete information about the supply chain, it has been shown that the critical phases of a product are its use and end of life, reports Bowie Willis. Recycling is unavoidable if something is to be done better here.
Martha Willis from the textile recycling project presented concrete learnings and results at OutDoor 2024 Accelerating Circularity. The non-profit company has recycled 72 tons of textiles from the EU and the USA in recent years. The result was 27.5 tons of recycled cotton and recycled polyester.
The preparation was particularly challenging, Martha explains in the presentation. Analyzing and sorting the textiles were the biggest time wasters in the process. The logistics in the EU are also complicated and need to be planned well and in good time. She also reports that she had to do a lot of persuading because recycling is still stigmatized in the industry. Anyone who still needs arguments against this will find the free playbook from Accelerating Circularity is a step-by-step guide to getting started with a circular business model.
"I hope that we become just as precise in monitoring our material circularity as we are in monitoring our finances," says David Quass from the VF Cooperation. He has been dedicated to sustainable transformation for years and, above all, to the question: how can it be tracked?
An important tool for this are the Circular Transition Indicators open source KPIs from the WBCSD for circular systems in the textile industry. In the VF Cooperation, they are applied to the sports and outdoor sector to advise companies such as The North Face, Eastpak, Vans and Napapijri. North Face Renewed or the Eastpak slogan "Built to last" are the results of these synergies.
Quass compares the process to the Tower of Babel: "Everyone has to speak the same language, have the same level of knowledge and have the same goal in mind so that we can actually achieve Net Zero. In the supply chain, in production, in design, in use and also in the recycling of our products.
In the Speakers Corner at OutDoor 2024, Bowie Willis wanted to break down fears of monitoring tools at all costs. She spoke from her own experience when she talked about the aversion to long Excel lists. But there is no way around it: "We only grow if we learn." In the end, everyone has to learn how to deal with the data, she says in her panel talk.
Her suggestion to work with content rather than finished products when analyzing was particularly plausible. Similar to baking: What can be made from flour, butter, sugar and eggs! Even small changes in the quantity or processing of the ingredients lead to completely different results. All you need to succeed is good basic information: Very precise data, right from the start of each life cycle of our products.
Eco-design is the key to sustainability and circularity in the sports and outdoor industry. In the Material Lab at OutDoor by ISPO, we present numerous bio-based materials made from waste and natural resources. Let yourself be inspired on our guided tour and discover how you can use these game changers to improve your CO₂ balance and create ecological products.
Eco-design plays an important role in the sustainable transformation of the sports and outdoor industry. And bio-based materials are an important key to lower emissions and circularity. In the Sustainability Hub at OutDoor by ISPO, we will once again be presenting around 20 innovative, high-performance and recyclable source products for your textile designs or packaging in the Material Lab - made from agricultural waste, algae, seagrass, olive pits and much more. The Material Lab shows the entire life cycle and the development of the materials from the raw components through the intermediate stages to the finished product. In the Material Lab Guided Tour, daily from 3 p.m., we will introduce you to the companies, start-ups and pioneers and their products. Be inspired to create a new, CO₂-low eco-design!
Well, did you roll your eyes when you read this headline and think: "Uff, the next greenwashing lobby article that tries to make me believe that an entire industry is much greener than the uninformed population thinks"? Don't worry, this is all about encouraging people and leading the way as a pioneer!
Every industry needs more and, above all, real sustainability - including the world of sport. Nevertheless, the invitation from UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) for ISPO to take part in the Greentech Festival 2024 in Berlin as a guest on two panels prompted a change of perspective. So why ISPO and why sport of all things? The following five theses are intended to make it clear why sport has an incredible amount to offer in terms of sustainability. It is also a call to make greater use of sport, to challenge and promote it - and to learn from it.
This "positive pressure" arrives first in sport and health. Why? Because this generation in particular understands sport and health holistically and declares it a lifestyle. In future, it will therefore be less and less possible to hide behind greenwashing and great green stories. The new generation is allergic to any attempt to present half-truths. Armed with social media power, artificial intelligence in tow and organized in digital and physical communities, they will act mercilessly in the future. This will indeed be uncomfortable for some sports brands, but if they are to remain relevant and ensure their own survival, the real sustainability change in the sports and health sector will have to be implemented first. So the sports world will be the first to get rid of greenwashing - whether it wants to or not.
The good news is that most brands want the sustainable transformation themselves - but a little extra pressure from consumers can't hurt. This is supported by legislation, such as the EU Green Claims Directive, which sets out rules for companies regarding sustainability communication.
Alex Denker Category Manager Sustainability & Snowsports @ISPO
More and more athletes are using their reach and role models, and organizations like Protect Our Winters are also raising their voices and mobilizing others, such as in the #tryharderfis campaign or the current call for the EU elections.
Alex Denker Category Manager Sustainability & Snowsports @ISPO
Unfortunately, end consumers and the market are always slow to move in a new direction, which is often due to the long order cycles. But soon there will be significantly more genuinely sustainable products on the shelves. And that already shows the attitude of the industry from over a year ago - thanks to the pioneers!
We would like to thank UNIDO for the invitation and all panel participants for the lively discussions. Many thanks to: Dr. Olaf Deutschbein (UNIDO), Dr. Olivia Henke (Alliance for Development and Climate Foundation), Johannes Axster (Common Goal), Marcel Richert (camm solutions), Mathias Diestelmann (Brands Fashion), Simon Rasch (DFL), Gordon Knebel (1. FC Union Berlin) and Jana Reiter (plant-for-the-planet).
What once began with men's underwear and some clothing is now a recognized brand for functional outdoor underwear that can withstand extreme climatic conditions: Aclima. An important part of this evolution has been the expansion into the military sector. For the armed forces of Nordic and other European countries, Aclima produces robust, high-performance gear that has to withstand the toughest conditions every day. In this exclusive interview, CEO Hans Petter Jacobsen, who has been with the company for 30 years, takes us through the history and future of Aclima and reveals his views on the competition from Scandinavia.
My journey with Aclima began over 30 years ago, in 1994, when the brand was still in its infancy and focused primarily on men's underwear and clothing. I initially joined the company as an external auditor, but then decided to join the team. Since then, Aclima has undergone a remarkable transformation and has become a recognized brand for functional outdoor underwear.
Since taking on the role of CEO in 2009, I have had the privilege of leading Aclima through various changes, including the acquisition by the Swedish Open Air Group in 2022. Despite the changes in ownership, Aclima has retained its family essence. Third generation family members are still actively involved in our operations. We have overcome many challenges in our industry and diversified our brand presence. As CEO of Aclima, I am proud that our growth in the contract business, especially in the military sector, has been tremendous.
Since the last millennium, we have recognized and leveraged the symbiotic relationship between military and outdoor markets. Soldiers are critical and demanding users of our clothing. This lends credibility to our outdoor gear. We currently supply all Nordic countries as well as the Belgian army and special forces in Canada, the USA, the UK and Germany. Last year, contracts with the police and military accounted for more than half of our total sales, a significant increase compared to previous years. This growth reflects our commitment to innovation and quality. And we continue to develop fabrics and garments tailored to the needs of military personnel.
Despite market fluctuations, Aclima remains firmly focused on sustainability and innovation. Our commitment in this area extends from the sourcing of materials to production processes, emphasizing environmentally friendly practices. We place great emphasis on natural fibers such as merino wool, in line with the growing demand for sustainable alternatives.
At Aclima, we view natural raw materials such as merino wool as a high-tech fiber straight from Mother Nature. We integrate Merino's unique properties into our garments by harnessing its natural breathability, moisture wicking and odor resistance. We are also deeply committed to an ethical sourcing and production process, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout our supply chain.
For example, we work closely with the suppliers of our merino wool. They are part of the ZQRX program, which guarantees responsible animal husbandry practices. By working with suppliers who prioritize animal welfare and environmental protection, we can trace the journey of our merino wool from the sheep farms in New Zealand to the finished product. This commitment to traceability not only ensures the quality and integrity of our garments, but also reinforces our dedication to sustainability and ethical standards throughout our production process.
In terms of cultural influence in our region, especially in Norway and Scandinavia, we maintain an open attitude and encourage collaboration - even with our international competitors. We experience a spirit of camaraderie where industry players support each other. This is because, especially in emerging markets, the immense demand for outdoor clothing offers room for multiple participants. Our interactions with competitors are often informal and direct, which is evident at trade shows like OutDoor by ISPO, where we openly discuss and share insights. Regardless of whether it is purely business related. Although our direct approach might be perceived as rude in some cultures, we value honesty and reliability and appreciate verbal as well as written agreements.
We strive to capture the essence of Norwegian outdoor life in each of our garments. Specifically, our deep respect for nature and our strong adventurous spirit. Many people admire Norway for its harsh weather and seek appropriate clothing for such conditions, which is understandable. Almost all Norwegians participate in some form of outdoor activity; some are avid enthusiasts, while others enjoy it occasionally. Personally, I most look forward to ski tours in the sunshine at the weekend. Fortunately, the mountains nearby are still covered in snow for much of the year. This direct experience of Arctic climate conditions lends credibility to our tips. When customers from abroad ask us how to dress in the icy streets of our capital, they rely on our expertise in cold weather clothing.
My vision for Aclima goes beyond providing quality outdoor gear; it includes inspiring people to explore and appreciate the natural beauty of their own regions. By encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to embrace local landscapes, we not only support environmental protection measures, but also promote personal well-being and community cohesion.