Outdoor brand Eddie Bauer is going sustainable. Its parent company, SPARC Group,, has established new sustainability practices for its various products.
One of the major steps it’s taking is to make apparel and gear more suitable for longer-term use.
According to some studies, notes Eddie Bauer, American and European consumers wear a piece of clothing an average of just seven times before throwing it away. As a result, each person discards an average of more than 80 pounds of clothing in the U.S. each year.
“The starting point for sustainability is not the use of lower impact materials, but a design ethos that compels our customers to use and reuse an Eddie Bauer item for as long as possible,” it stated.
For this purpose, Eddie Bauer plans to create apparel and gear that can be used and reused many times and for many purposes, while having the smallest possible impact on the environment.
This strategy includes the use of at least 50 percent certified organic, organic in-conversion, or recycled cotton by 2025. The goal is to reach 100 percent by 2030.
At least half of its polyester and nylon fiber will come from recycled content by 2025, and 100 percent by 2030. Similar goals are also in place for rayon, modal, and lyocell fibers, where the brand will use 50 percent recycled content or agricultural waste inputs by 2025, with the remainder coming from sustainable wood sources.
On the climate front, Eddie Bauer’s GHG emissions are mostly generated from the production of its apparel and gear, as well as the materials that are used to make the products. The company’s goal is to be able to measure its carbon footprint by 2023 and set aggressive targets for its reduction.
It also plans to use at least 80 percent of renewable electricity to power its office space and stores by 2025, and transition to 100 percent renewables by 2030.
The company will also make the packaging of its products more sustainable. It will reduce its average weight per item by 30 percent by 2025, and by 50 percent by 2030. By 2025, at least 50% of all plastic and all paper-based packaging will be made out of post-consumer recycled content.
The apparel and gear company has set goals to eliminate harmful chemicals by 2030. Its plan to restore ecosystems and habitats includes the planting of 100,000 trees per year. Since partnering with American Forests in 1995, Eddie Bauer has already helped plant over eight million trees, which has resulted in the reduction of 19 million metric tons of carbon – equivalent to taking over 4.1 million cars off the road annually. It will also apply circular business models such as product rental, used product resale and repair, and upcycling by 2023.
“As an outdoor brand born in the Pacific Northwest, a focus on the environment has always been at the center of Eddie Bauer’s mission and it continues to be, with the renewed priorities and goals we are setting for apparel and gear,” said Damien Huang, CEO of Eddie Bauer. “We recognize the vital importance of preserving our natural resources and doing our part to ensure our business practices are supporting a sustainable future.”
