In a move the company says is an industry first, UK-based Rab has announced that starting next fall its jacket and sleeping bag labels will begin detailing the exact amount of recycled and fluorocarbon-free materials. materials used to make its products.
Called Material Facts, Rab products contain QR codes that open online labels similar to the nutritional information found on packaged foods. The labels will give the percentage of recycled material used in all the components used in the construction of the piece. Launch the new system with labels listing the percentage of recycled insulation materials used in Rab jackets and sleeping bags, and expand to include all materials used in each product.
“It’s easy to put a little green leaf icon on your products to make customers feel better about them, but that doesn’t convey any real information,” says Debbie Read, Rab’s head of Corporate Social Responsibility. “Is it 10 percent or 100 percent recycled material, and which parts? We go greenwashing and be as transparent as possible about how green our products are.
The new recycling liability is part of Rab’s Net Zero by 2030 initiative. Read says the company is deconstructing its products to understand more fully and accurately the percentage of recycled and fluorocarbon -free content, including complex areas such as trims and zippers. This assessment is also applied to Rab’s supply chain partners to ensure that Rab is fully aware of what is in the materials it uses.
The zipper pulls, external shock cord, care labels, fabric and other materials ordered by Rab for fall/winter 2023 production are made from recycled materials, says Read, Also, via by eliminating the sacks of jacket materials, Rab estimates that it will save 101,500 square meters of fabric and 300,000 meters of rope and tape. Sleeping bag storage bags range from virgin cotton to recycled polyester, and the sewing thread used in the fall line will be fluorocarbon-free, he said.
“Things like pulling a zipper may seem small, but multiplying that by our use of it can be significant,” Read said. “We hope that as many brands, retailers and other stakeholders as possible will join us so that end consumers can get a more transparent and comprehensive picture of what sustainable outdoor product design means.”
