Like many manufacturers of outdoor clothing and equipment, Arc’teryx considers environmental protection to be an important part of the company’s strategy. Special attention is paid to the ecological balance, the choice of materials and, above all, the longevity of the products. Read more about the company’s sustainability efforts in this blog post.
Obsessed with design & durability
Arc’teryx is all about intelligent design. Every square millimetre of its products is thought through. Seams are designed to maximise freedom of movement. Arc’teryx calls this cutting technique Dynamic Seam Tracking and strives for the “piece de no resistance” – products that offer no resistance to movement. Products effortlessly follow the natural flow of movement.
When it comes to fabrics, Arc’teryx uses materials that are extremely lightweight, yet extremely durable. Designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the Vancouver Coast mountains, products are built to last. Durability is the key to greater sustainability for the Canadian brand. After all, the longer a product is used in the mountains, the less impact it has on the environment – provided, of course, that the choice of materials and the production process take into account the ecological balance.
Materials & Technologies
When it comes to materials, the outdoor brand relies as much as possible on safe technologies that also guarantee high performance and durability.
Using Life Cycle Analysis, the brand tracks the impact of its products throughout their entire life cycle, from raw material sourcing to sale and disposal. The scientifically based Life Cycle Assessment helps Arc’teryx to optimise its own activities.
Arc’teryx is also a partner of the bluesign® system. The bluesign® system eliminates environmentally harmful substances from the entire process and follows a holistic approach. Only companies that meet very high environmental standards throughout the supply chain are certified. You can find out more about bluesign® in our materials glossary.
Down, wool & leather
The Canadian brand only uses down certified to the Responsible Down Standard. This standard ensures that high animal welfare standards are maintained throughout the supply chain. Live plucking and force-feeding are prohibited. In addition, the down comes from Eastern European farms owned by Allied Feather and Down. Allied Feather and Down is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high quality down and down blends and is also a bluesign® system partner.
The Canadian brand is also transparent when it comes to wool: only wool from AMBT and Designer Textiles is used. The wool is sourced according to the ZQ Merino Standard or the National Wool Declaration Integrity Program. This ensures animal welfare. Arc’teryx plans to move to the Responsible Wool Standard.
Leather is sourced from waste from the meat industry and is processed in tanneries working to the guidelines of the Leather Working Group.
Climate action
The Canadian brand recognizes the need to help reduce the climate impact of the outdoor industry. The brand seeks to strike a balance between economic success and greater sustainability. To make informed decisions and find solutions, Arc’teryx conducted a rigorous analysis of its carbon footprint in 2018. The analysis served as the basis for science-based targets to reduce emissions and switch to renewable energy. The targets are as follows:
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 compared to the 2018 baseline, i.e. reducing emissions from Arc’teryx’s head office, Canadian manufacturing facilities and global retail stores.
- Reduce Scope 3 emissions per unit of value added by 65% by 2030. These are carbon emissions generated by materials, products, factories, manufacturing plants, shipping, and distribution centres.
Arc’teryx is currently implementing the following measures to achieve these targets:
- Product: Reduced use of environmentally harmful materials & focus on durability.
- Renewable energy: Using 100% renewable energy in our own operations.
- Energy Efficiency: Improve energy efficiency in the supply chain and own production.
- Circular economy: Expanding circular concepts.
Arc’teryx also publicly reports its progress on its own website. The 2021 climate report can be found here.
Responsible manufacturing
Arc’teryx has its own production facility in Vancouver, ARC’One, which gives it extensive knowledge of the manufacturing process. The Canadian brand works with more than 21 companies in ten countries. Each manufacturing partner must adhere to strict production and quality standards and is committed to responsible working practices and minimising environmental impact.
To make its own supply chain fairer and more equitable, all Arc’teryx products will be Fair Trade™ certified by 2025. In 2020, parent company Amer Sports will join the Fair Labor Association. In this way, Arc’teryx is increasingly living up to its social responsibility.
Re:Bird: Repair and reuse
65% of a garment’s environmental impact comes from its manufacture and sourcing. This means that the longer a product can be used, the lower its environmental impact. This is why Arc’teryx is committed to thoughtful design, durability, repair, and building platforms for used gear. This is the only way to move towards a circular economy.
That’s why the Canadian company launched the Re.BIRD™ Hub in 2021. It brings together all of Arc’teryx’s circular initiatives, such as care guides, repair options, upcycled collections and second-hand offerings. In 2021, Arc’teryx could repair 10,000 products at its own manufacturing facility in Vancouver and send them back to customers for further use.
Partnerships & Community
As a nature-loving brand, Arc’teryx wants to give others access to the outdoors. That’s why the brand supports outdoor communities that promote equitable access to the outdoors. Arc’teryx also supports conservation organisations.
In addition, Arc’teryx is a founding signatory of the UN Fashion Charter, a member of the Climate Action Corps and a co-founder of the Catalyst Business Coalition.
Arc’teryx – a WIR DENKEN UM brand
Premium outdoor brand Arc’teryx is one of Sport Conrad’s WIR DENKEN UM brands. These are brands that take responsibility in their supply chain. This includes responsible sourcing, fair working conditions and careful use of resources.
Shop the Arc’teryx highlights that have our WDU label: