We are proud of the durability of our products. But we also believe that, together with our consumers, a lot more can be done to prolong their useful lifetime – be it through proper care and repair, or through innovative options inventing other forms of further product use.
More than 100 billion tons of virgin materials are consumed annually by business. Only 8.65% of raw natural materials that entered the global economy were reused in 2019. The cycle of waste perpetuated by the fashion industry is impacting the world’s natural resources.
Textile waste is an unintended consequence of fashion, as more people buy more clothes and don’t keep them as long as they once did. We are addressing the problem of textile waste by manufacturing high-quality, durable products that last, as well as helping people properly care for their textiles with our Wash, Care & Repair program.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched the Make Fashion Circular Initiative in 2018 to develop solutions to the issues facing the fashion industry such as rampant waste; the GORE-TEX brand and a number of its brand partners joined immediately.
The best way to minimize the environmental footprint of our products is by enabling and encouraging people to use them for as long as possible. That’s why we are promoting wash and care instructions and services for our garments, repairing them when possible, and exploring new business models for a second life.
As part of our sustainability efforts, we are working with our brand partners to educate consumers about the importance of proper garment cleaning and care. Our objective is to help consumers optimize the performance and prolong the longevity of their GORE-TEX products, which will improve its sustainability.
Also, Arc´teryx holds special Repair Events when consumers can have outdoor apparel repaired, regardless of the brand. We also sell easy-to-use GORE-TEX Fabric Repair Kits, available in stores or online, to allow consumer to make instant repairs to preserve the waterproof integrity of their outerwear.
We also have established programs with GORE-TEX brand partners to extend the life of outdoor wear.
For example, we have trained Patagonia´s experts on how to repair GORE-TEX products. As a result, consumers can have their damaged GORE-TEX products repaired by “Worn Wear” experts at a specific repair outlet.