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B-Corp Certified

B-Corp Certified refers to the certification awarded to companies that meet certain social and environmental criteria as well as being committed to transparency and responsibility in their operations. ‘B Corp’ stands for “Benefit Corporation” or “Benefit Company”. To become B Corp-certified, companies must undergo a comprehensive assessment of their impact in various areas, including environment, employees, community and governance. This assessment is conducted by B Lab, a non-profit organisation that manages B Corp certification. As such, companies that are B Corp-certified have demonstrated their commitment to social and environmentally friendly practices and their desire to have a positive impact on society. They are committed to not only striving for profit, but also creating value for their employees, communities and the environment.

Organic cotton

Organic cotton is cotton that meets a number of conditions. For example, no pesticides, fertilisers or harmful chemicals are used throughout the production process. In addition, it is produced under good and safe labour conditions. Clothing made of organic cotton also feels softer and more comfortable on the skin. As the fibres of non-organic cotton are weakened by the chemicals used, the quality of such cotton is often also lower. A disadvantage of organic cotton is that more water is used in production. All in all, however, organic cotton is a lot better for the environment than non-organic cotton. Recycled cotton, by the way, is the ‘greenest’ choice.

Bluesign

Bluesign is an organisation aimed at making textile production more sustainable. It aims to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry and promote more sustainable production methods. The system takes into account the entire production chain, from raw materials to finished products, and sets standards for environmentally friendly and safe production processes. Every textile used in the manufacture of a product is the result of a complex production process, making it difficult for a brand to evaluate all the raw materials, dyes and chemical auxiliaries supplied. Bluesign helps with this analysis at every step in the supply chain. This has led to a network of nearly 1,000 manufacturers, chemical suppliers and brands that are Bluesign system partners.

Bluesign not only provides clarity to brands/manufacturers. It also provides useful information to consumers. There are two indications linked to Bluesign that consumers can look out for. You may come across the indication contains Bluesign certified material with a product. Such products contain one or more materials that are ‘Bluesign Approved’. One step further is the Bluesign Product label. You will find this label on products that fully comply with the Bluesign criteria. However, this does not necessarily mean that the entire product consists of ‘Bluesign Approved’ material. For clothing, at least 90% of the fabrics and 30% of the accessories (buttons, zips, etc.) must be Bluesign Approved. For equipment such as tents, sleeping bags or backpacks, these percentages are 90% and 20% respectively.

Fair Trade Certified

Fair Trade Certified, or simply Fair Trade, is a label indicating that products have been produced according to certain social and environmental standards. The aim of Fair Trade is to promote fair trade practices and provide producers in developing countries with fair compensation for their labour. When a product bears the Fair Trade Certified mark, it means it has been produced under conditions that meet certain social criteria, such as the right to trade union freedom, safe working conditions and no child labour. There are also environmental criteria to ensure that production does not harm the environment.

Fair Wear Foundation

Recycled material

Many products today contain recycled materials. It is a good development and necessary to achieve a circular economy. Products can consist partly of recycled materials, but can also be 100% recycled. If this is the case, we indicate this with the product. If it is part of all fabrics, we try to indicate as much as possible which type of material is involved. You will then come across the following texts, for example: contains recycled down, contains recycled cotton, contains recycled polyamide, contains recycled polyester or contains recycled wool. If we are sure that the product contains recycled material, but do not know what type of material it is, you will see the text contains recycled material.

Global Organic Textile Standard

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is an internationally recognised standard for organic textile products. This standard sets criteria for the entire textile production chain, from the harvesting of raw materials to the environmentally and socially responsible production, packaging, labelling and distribution of finished textile products. Key aspects of the GOTS standard include:

The Global Organic Textile Standard aims to provide consumers with assurance that products bearing this seal meet rigorous standards of sustainability and social welfare. It is a leading standard in the organic textile industry worldwide.

Climate neutral

You will regularly come across product claims claiming that the product is 100% climate-neutral or climate-compensated. So in practice, such products should have no impact on the climate or their impact should be compensated by investing in certain projects (e.g. planting trees). With the products on our website, we hardly mention such claims. This is because research shows that these claims currently do not mean very much. In particular, a lot goes wrong in (checking) the compensation of the climate impact. Again, this does not mean the opposite. For instance, there will be plenty of offsetting projects that do have a positive impact on the climate. For us, however, the guarantee of such claims is too questionable, so for now we choose not to get too involved.

Made in Europe

Products with the Made in Europe mark have been produced in Europe. Such products have had to make a less long journey around the world to finally reach your home. As a result, they have lower CO2 emissions. However, products with a Made in Europe mark may contain materials that come from outside Europe. For manufacturers from Europe, production closer to home also has the advantage that delivery times go down. As a result, they gain flexibility when it comes to responding to consumer demand. In other words, supply from the manufacturer can better match consumer demand. Overall, this results in less waste.

Mulesing-free Wool

Mulesing-free wool is wool obtained without the use of the mulesing method. Mulesing is a practice in sheep farming in which pieces of skin around the rear of sheep are cut away (not always under anaesthetic) to prevent the growth of fly larvae. This method is often used in warm-climate countries, where fly infestations pose a threat to sheep. Ethical concerns have caused wool producers and buyers to increasingly commit to supplying/receiving wool obtained without this practice. When a product indicates mulesing-free wool, you can assume that the wool comes from sheep that have not been ‘mulesed’.

NetPlus

NetPlus is an initiative by Bureo aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainability. Bureo uses recycled materials, particularly recycled ocean plastic, to then turn them into high-quality clothing and accessories in collaboration with clothing manufacturers. The word ‘NetPlus’ refers to fishing nets collected from the ocean. These abandoned or lost fishing nets can be harmful to the marine ecosystem. Bureo is working closely with Patagonia on the NetPlus project.

PFC-free

Unfortunately, some outdoor products contain PFCs. Especially in products that offer some protection against precipitation. The problem with harmful PFCs is that they are very poor to non-biodegradable. So once in nature, they don't go away. It is extra wry that these PFCs are also in products that allow people to enjoy the same nature. So it is understandable that those consumers want to choose products, which do not contain harmful PFCs. Fortunately, in recent years there are more and more initiatives that make this possible, but we are not there yet.

As mentioned, we mainly encounter these PFCs in products that provide protection against precipitation. Think of clothing (the top layer), panniers or tents. When we know that a product from one of these categories is 100% PFC-free, we try to indicate this as much as possible. Sometimes it also concerns part of a product. For example, when a product's DWR treatment contains no PFCs, you will come across the text PFC-free DWR. The latter mention just does not mean that entire product is PFC-free.

Responsible Down Standard

The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is a globally recognised standard designed to ensure that the down in the production of clothing, sleeping bags and other products comes from responsible and ethical sources. The Responsible Down Standard sets standards for the treatment of ducks and geese used in down production. This includes things like avoiding force-feeding, ensuring suitable living conditions and minimising stress. The RDS also requires full traceability of down in the production chain. This means documenting the origin of the down, from farm to factory, to ensure it comes from certified, ethical sources. Compliance with the Responsible Down Standard is independently verified by external certification bodies. This ensures the reliability and credibility of the certification process.

Responsible Wool Standard

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a globally recognised standard developed to ensure that wool comes from sheep that are treated according to certain ethical and sustainability standards. The aim of the RWS is to promote responsible and animal-friendly practices in the wool industry. The RWS sets standards for the treatment of sheep, including issues such as nutrition, health, housing and avoidance of cruelty. For example, it prohibits the use of mulesing. RWS also encourages sustainable land management, including preserving biodiversity and minimising negative environmental impacts. RWS also requires wool to be traceable from farm to finished product. This ensures that consumers can verify that the wool in a given product comes from certified, ethical sources. Compliance with the Responsible Wool Standard is assessed by independent certification bodies, and there is a focus on transparency throughout the supply chain.

Solution Dye

Solution dyeing is a specific dyeing technique used in the production of textile fibres, yarns or fabrics. In this method, the dye is added to the polymer solution before the fibre is formed, rather than the dye being added to the final product. This process has several advantages, especially in terms of colour fastness and environmental friendliness. For instance, this technique results in less water consumption and waste water compared to conventional dyeing techniques. Solution Dye is sometimes also called Dope Dye.

Sustainable Apparel Coalition

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is a certification system that promotes the highest standards of sustainability, ecological health and social well-being in agriculture and food production. It focuses on regenerative agricultural practices that not only pursue sustainability but also actively seek to restore and improve ecosystems. Think about promoting soil fertility, increasing biodiversity, supporting water conservation and the improving the carbon cycle. By applying Regenerative Organic Certified, producers strive to not only do less damage, but also have a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which they operate.

SAC has developed the Higg Index, a set of tools and indicators that allow companies to measure and evaluate their environmental and social responsibility impacts. This includes the environmental performance of products, working conditions in supply chains and the overall sustainability of business practices.

Terracare

Terracare is a brand and a company specialising in leather production with a focus on sustainability and eco-friendly processes. They are known for their efforts to produce high-quality leather with attention to social and environmental aspects of the leather industry. For example, the production process releases 30% less CO2 and uses 40% less water than what is standard in the leather industry.