OK, we’re impressed. GoLite just rolled out a program that sets a new standard for sustainability practices in the outdoor industry.

It’s called the GoLite Product Take-Back Program. Consumers can send back any piece of GoLite apparel that the company has made since it was started in 1998 and GoLite will figure out something positive to do with it – recycle, repurpose, or reuse.   No more landfill.

The GoLite site also has tips on how to repair or repurpose one’s GoLite product locally.

The implications are enormous for all of us who aspire to building or buying more environmentally sensible products. Many companies in the outdoor industry (including Teko) go to great lengths on the front end: sourcing materials responsibly and taking pains to produce them with the minimum impact. Much less attention is paid to the end of a product’s life. We get regular consumer inquiries on recycling well-used organic merino socks, but for now, there isn’t a way to accomplish this. GoLite’s right down the road from us in Boulder – maybe we should ask them for advice.

Sustainability isn’t a new idea at GoLite. There site is loaded with information on their policies, including this 157-page comprehensive 2009 Sustainability Report, which leaves no stone unturned in detailing their effect as a company on everything from climate impact to human rights and labor policies. That’s transparency, friends.

We do our best here at Teko to make the best-performing socks, with the minimum environmental impact. That said, we’re big believers in congratulating other companies that do an outstanding job. GoLite – you’re an inspiration!

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is preparing to update its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (aka Green Guides) and is widely expected to get tougher on greenwashing in the new version.

The Guides define terms like “recyclable” and “biodegradable” and are likely to address current favorites like “sustainable” and “carbon neutral” this time around.

The FTC hasn’t been active in environmental cases in the recent past, but that seems to be changing. SNEWS broke the story that on Feb 3, the FTC announced it had sent warning letters to 78 retailers, including heavy hitters in the outdoor industry, warning the retailers that they might be breaking the law by selling products that made misleading claims regarding bamboo fiber performance. (Story here – subscription required).

As they had a few months ago, The FTC pointed out that some products claiming to be bamboo are actually made of rayon (see our post, Bamboozled, below), rendering the claims of anti-microbal and moisture-wicking properties bogus.

In August of ’09, the FTC had filed complaints against four bamboo fiber manufacturers, all of whom settled with the agency. Rayon-disguised-as-bamboo has continued to enter the market, however, leading the FTC to turn its attention (and pressure) on retailers.

“This is a problem we need to solve for the American consumer,” James Kohm, Director of Enforcement for the FTC’s Consumer Protection, told SNEWS, “and we’ll keep taking whatever actions are necessary”.

We’re frequently asked why we don’t make socks from bamboo-based fiber.  The bamboo sales pitch is compelling for a company like Teko – it grows quickly, needs little water and no pesticides.  But wait, as they say on late night TV, there’s more!  Bamboo is also reputed to have anti-microbial properties to control user BO, greater breathability and a linen-like hand.

As always, the truth is a little more complicated.  While bamboo is great or flooring, cool bike frames and cores for powder skis. Textiles made from bamboo have a problem – they’re actually rayon.

In order to convert bamboo fiber into a textile, it must be literally boiled in toxic chemicals, producing air pollution.  The resulting fiber encases bamboo cellulose in plastic, eliminating any and all claimed performance and comfort attributes.

Companies using bamboo fiber and milking the environmental benefits have some ’splainin’ to do, both to consumers and the Federal Trade Commission, which debunks the bamboo hype in some very blunt language here.

The Story of Stuff Project is a series of animated documentaries written and narrated by environmental activist Anne Leonard.

The original film, called The Story of Stuff has been around for a while, but is absolute worth watching, or re-watching even if you’ve seen it before. The film lays out the real costs of products, from extraction to production, distribution, consumption and disposal, exposing the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues.

Far from being a depressing, guilt-inducing polemic, the films are inspiring and teach us how to think more broadly when considering environmental issues like sustainability and recycling.

The Story of Stuff has recently been joined by an excellent second film, The Story of Cap and Trade (subtitled: Why you can’t solve a problem with the thinking that created it). Two more films, The Story of Bottled Water and the Story of Electronics, are in development.

In addition to the films, the SoS site if full of information and advice on how to take action as a private citizen. Check it out: www.storyofstuff.com.

We’re just back from the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, the bi-annual gathering of manufacturers and organizations in the outdoor industry. In addition to being a chance to catch up with old friends and eyeball next year’s gear, OR is a great opportunity to keep up on which companies are leading the charge on sustainability issues.

We do our best here at Teko, but major acknowledgements are due for some of our colleagues in the industry.

- We love what Patagonia does with their Footprint Chronicles.  They’re up front about areas in which they aren’t eco-perfect.

- Clif Bar has an excellent sustainability newsletter and they did a very thorough Life cycle Assessment in 2007.

- MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op, in Canada) does a great job as retailer and manufacturer. Lots of good stuff on their sustainability tab.  Their accountability report is especially good.

- GoLite just released a massive sustainability report (157 pages) and is an active participant in the outdoor industry environmental working group (along with Teko’s own Owen Hammond).

- Brooks is also doing a good job. They’re definitely a leader in the eco-working group.

And not to give too much away about ourselves, but two favorite companies of ours unrelated to our industry, but not by much:

- Sierra Nevada Brewing prefers not to publicize their environmental good works, but they produce nearly 90% of their brewery’s energy onsite, thorough one of the country’s largest privately-owned solar arrays. They also treat all the post-brewing wastewater onsite. And may I recommend their Torpedo Ale?

- New Belgium Brewing is a great example of a sustainably minded and relatively transparent company.

As you can see, we’re equally impressed by a company’s commitment to transparency as we are by their specific environmental practices. Companies that develop strong sustainable practices but don’t share them (we won’t name names) are defeating the purpose and revealing something less-than-complimentary about their motives. We understand sales – we’re trying to increase market share, too, but when it comes to environmental efforts, open source is the only way to go.

Side note: Wal-Mart is also making a good/interesting effort. You might find this article interesting. They swing a big stick that can make manufacturers change, however you feel about the social and environmental impact they had in obtaining said stick.