EarthTalk is a weekly installment from E/The Environmental Magazine.

Dear EarthTalk: I’m planning a summer backpacking trip and was hoping to buy some of the latest green-friendly outdoor clothing. Where the best options out there today that wear as well as traditional items but without the environmental guilt?

Outdoor gear and clothing manufacturers are slowly but surely beginning to work materials crafted from recycled, reused or otherwise sustainable sources into their products.

Synthetics like polyester and nylon have been the “go to” materials for outdoor clothes, due to their moisture wicking, quick drying and warmth retention properties, but they are fast being augmented if not replaced outright by new fabrics crafted out of organic plant-based materials. For one, soybeans are now finding their way into outdoor clothing. One example is ExOfficio’s Tofutech Tee, which wicks moisture, retains warmth and resists wrinkles while being made of a 100 percent soy-based, biodegradable fabric.

Another innovation is Cocona, from the Colorado-based company of the same name. It’s a fabric treatment derived from coconut husks discarded by the food industry that helps other traditional fabrics wick moisture, control odor and shield UV rays. Some 40 clothing manufacturers, including GoLite, Marmot, Sierra Designs and Royal Robbins, are incorporating Cocona into their 2008 product lines.

Not to be outdone is Patagonia, a company many consider to be the granddaddy of eco-conscious outdoor gear. The California-based company now uses 100 percent organic cotton in all of its shirts, pants, outerwear and underwear to avoid the pesticides used in the growing of conventional cotton. Patagonia also takes back its customers’ own discards, melting them down to use the raw materials in new jackets and sweaters. And last year the company launched a new line of footwear constructed using organic cotton, recycled rubber soles, latex made from the milk of Hevea trees, hemp, and laces made from vegetable waste.

New on the scene but as green as they come is Oregon-based Nau, an outdoor clothing maker and retailer launched in 2006 with green production values key to its mission. Every item in the company’s diverse clothing line uses either recycled polyester from soda bottles, organic cotton or the corn-based plastic-alternative polylactic acid (PLA). Also, the company’s four retail outlets were designed using reclaimed timber, energy-efficient lighting and a “ship-to-you” program that cuts down on in-store storage space and energy usage (consumers choose items by handling display merchandise, but then rather than walk out with their purchases they order using in-store touch screens and then have it shipped to them).

Another cutting-edge outdoor company is shoemaker Timberland. Its new Greenscapes line of sneakers is made with vegetable- (instead of chemical-) tanned leather and is hand-sewn instead of glued with the toxic adhesives normally found in footwear. The new line also sports recycled polyester laces and outsoles made from recycled rubber. Timberland also recently switched to packaging made from green-friendly and recycled materials. And it has launched a “Green Index” to measure each product’s environmental footprint. The company is working with the Outdoor Industry Association to implement an industry-wide version of the Index so consumers can compare the relative green-ness of competing products.

CONTACTS: ExOfficio, Cocona Fabrics, Patagonia, Nau, Timberland.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881 USA; submit it at EarthTalk; or e-mail us. Read past columns at our archives.

Comments on this post: 4

I wrote about our new reusable mugs back in January and we have been using them without issue since then - it’s great to be able to walk into a coffee shop and hand them your own mug. However, just last week I was out and running some errands and I stopped at the local Coffee Bean to get nice mocha latte. I mentioned Coffee Bean supposedly going green last summer, but what happened on this visit blew my mind. I hand the woman behind the counter my mug, pay for my drink and head over to wait for it to be done. What did I see?

She was using a disposable cup to make and mix my drink in before pouring it into my reusable mug. And then she threw the paper cup in the trash.

How does this help at all? Me bringing my reusable mug does not actually save a cup from being throw away at all. I then told her that if she cannot make my drink right in my mug, that maybe it would be better to use one of their ceramic cups to make it in before pouring it in my own mug. She then proceeded to say “But then I would have to wash it” and I just walked out with my coffee - there was no arguing with this woman who obviously did not see the point of me bringing my own mug…even though I told her why I do it.

So, Coffee Bean head-honchos…could you please set in motion a plan to educate your baristas about why people bring in reusable mugs? As well as creating more trash, these one-time-use cups also cost you guys money…and I am sure you want to save money. I try to do my part by bringing in my own mug…I think it is a pretty small request to make it easy for your baristas to make me a drink without using a paper cup. Whadda ya think guys?

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I love that saying.

At first glance it might be a little difficult to grasp, but after looking at it for a while it becomes crystal clear as to what it means.

Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live.

By choosing our lifestyle carefully, we are in effect helping many other people around the world who have it a lot less fortunate than we do. Buying organic cotton clothes and bedding keeps pesticides and other toxins off farm worker’s bodies. Choosing to use biodegradable soaps and cleaners prevents our oceans and rivers from becoming toxic waste dumps. Giving money to charity instead of splurging on yourself once in a while enables a kid in some far away land to get a textbook. In almost everything we do, there is an effect on someone else in the world. Just being wise to this fact can separate you from the herd.

Only a few extreme environmentalists want anyone to go live in a cave, eat only wheat grass, and read by candlelight only. Most of us are not that type of “green”; I just want everyone to be able to live comfortably and mindfully, within their means, while having a minimal negative affect on the rest of the people on the planet. No matter how far away they are or what they do for a living, they are still people. And we all share the earth together, regardless of age, creed, sex, or the size of our wallets.

Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live.

If we all do our best to keep in mind the other 6 billion people on the planet every time we shop or make lifestyle changes, we will all be better off.

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A toaster oven can use at least half as much energy as a full-sized oven does, so if you are cooking something small or just warming something up you can save energy by using the smaller toaster oven instead!

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I was a little hesitant when I saw that these fleeces were made out of recycled plastic bottles and old fabrics, but I could not be happier with my purchase. I had a gift card so I figured what better use for it than a fleece! The fleece is called the “Synchilla Marsupial“, and is 100% polyester made from 85% recycled soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments - pretty cool, huh? It is incredibly soft and one would never know that it used to be a bunch of plastic…except I just told you that so now you know. Right now, a bunch of the colors of this fleece are on sale if you want to go over to Patagonia site and check them out. But on to my only concern about the product…

I cannot decide if it is better to buy a product that might have a larger “travel pattern” but is made from recycled materials, or one with a smaller “travel pattern” but is made from virgin materials! How far a garment travels has to be taken into consideration due to carbon emissions, and these fleeces, which do start off as recycled plastic, follow the route below:

Recycled fibers go from North Carolina and join up with recycled fabrics in Massachusetts. Then they both take a trip down to Mexico for the sewing. (They do social audits there, so it is a good facility) The finished garments go from Mexico back into the U.S. to Reno, NV for distribution. At the end of your garments life, Patagonia recycles them to Japan where they are broken back down into usable fibers yet again.

This information comes from Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles, which allows you to follow the path of a few of their products. Kudos to them for being honest and upfront about this; if only a few more companies would do so. They do a lot of work behind the scenes on environmental issues, and they donate 1% of profits to 1% For The Planet (which I really need to join!). They are pretty well known for being a conscious company, so I feel pretty good about buying this fleece from them. I guess that is the best we all can do!

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It’s no secret that I am a fan of Simple Shoes. I have written about my “Toe Jam” and “Loaf” sneakers before, and I have a few more pairs as well that I have not written about. Well, it seems that Simple has taken notice and has been kind enough to provide a discount code for all the readers of The Good Human, which is good for 10% off Simple Shoes orders of $50 or more and free domestic ground shipping in the lower 48 states. So what is the discount code, you ask?

This offer has expired, sorry!

When it is time to check out, you just have to enter that code in the “Discount Code” field at SimpleShoes.com and you will automatically get the discount and the shipping. The coupon is good until March 30th, 2008, so there is a little bit of time to take advantage of their kind offer. When I bought my shoes I looked on the internet to find a coupon code and could not find one, so hopefully this will help you out if you have been on the search for one. The shoes pictured up at the left are my new favorite ones that I will probably be buying next, and here are the specs on them:

• Hemp uppers
• Sidewall of the ecoS is made from a recycled bike tire
• Organic cotton linings
• Recycled PET (that’s recycled plastic bottles) laces
• PET pedbeds
• Outsole used to be a car tire
• 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms

So if you have been looking for a good time to pick up a pair of Simple Shoes, now might be that time!

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