Columnist Courtney Mihocik argues that companies should work to reduce their carbon footprint and support environmentally sustainable policies to decrease their impact.
Outdoor clothing companies create products and innovations to garner enthusiasts with a love for enjoying the environment. Jackets, pants, hiking socks and shoes and additional layers are needed to properly prepare oneself for a hiking or camping trip.
But are those companies treating the environment, one from which they harvest resources and materials for products, the way it deserves to be treated?
There are some that do, and some that don’t. The ones that do deserve a little recognition for their zero-waste policies.
The American-based company GoLite has a philosophy that aims to create products that are light on a hiker’s back, but also are light on the environment.
The company packages its products according to the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, uses energy efficient renewable energy lighting in their physical locations and has been certified since 2008 by B Corporation, a nonprofit that is dedicated to using business to solve environmental and social problems.
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tonlé, another zero-waste company that is based in Cambodia, says in its mission statement, “We design and produce sustainable, wearable clothes. … We adhere to principles of transparency, fairness, and waste reduction in everything we do, from the big stuff like wages, down to the little things like the materials in our buttons.” In a place where low wages and high waste run rampant, it’s important and should be noted that there’s a company that employs neither of these tactics in its business model.
The well-known brand Patagonia has earned a permanent place in the top lists of environmentally-friendly companies. Its sustainable policies date back to the 1970s, and it donates 1 percent of its sales to environmental preservation groups. Policies like giving paid vacation to employees who volunteer for environmental organizations and only buying wool from farmers who grow with sustainable grazing practices help give Patagonia its good reputation.
These companies and retailers are the kind of organizations that other businesses should be looking toward when changing their practices. As consumers, we can also choose to shop with retailers and brands that either use sustainable materials or source to sustainable companies.
Courtney Mihocik is a junior studying journalism. Do you view companies with zero-waste policies more positively than companies without? Email her at cm674912@ohio.edu or tweet her @CourtneyMiho.
