Only about 9.1 percent of plastic is recycled in the USA.
Plastic Impact Alliance / Getty Images
The Plastic Impact Alliance is a group of 350-plus outdoor brands committed to making our industry more sustainable by eradicating single-use plastic from their businesses. PIA members have promised to reject single-use plastic bottles at Outdoor Retailer starting in June 2019, host water stations at their booths, collaborate with other PIA members on best practices to nix single-use plastic,, and activate the greater outdoor industry.
Explore the Plastic Impact Alliance tool kit here, and join the Alliance by sending the following info to plasticimpactalliance@gmail.com.
At HydraPak’s product testing lab, the 1-liter plastic bottle was filled to capacity with water, which swooshed like the steady beat of a song each second, for 72 hours. Dubbed the RECON, the bottle clung to the hiking imitation machine, which rapidly jiggled the bottle via a ...read more
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Thin Air postponed: The virtual trade show has been pushed to mid-September. The organizers say the change is meant “to ensure we do not take focus away from long overdue conversations" about racism. Camber releases ...read more
In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8, Colorado-based Zeal Optics is throwing down an admirable challenge to its customers. For every pair of sunglasses, goggles, or lenses sold from June 8 through the end of the month, the company will yank five pounds of harmful plastic waste ...read more
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Plastic waste on the rise: The pandemic has helped the environment in some ways and hurt it in others. Join the Plastic Impact Alliance to help combat the problem. [Wired] How park closures affect different communities: ...read more
In 2010, an employee at prAna’s Boulder retail store snapped a photo that depicted a room littered with mounds of polybags. The capture—and the astonishing amount of plastic—represented the aftermath of unboxing a single day’s shipments to the shop. When the photo made its way to ...read more
How to start making PPE: Register for a webinar on Tuesday, April 14 by OIA and SIA about pivoting your business to produce tools for healthcare workers in need. Outdoor State of Mind: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, Protect Our Winters is launching a ...read more
Accused of murder: Dean Cummings, a celebrated skier and peer of Doug Coombs, has been charged with the murder of a man in New Mexico. [Outside Online] Jeremy Jones’ brilliance: The pro snowboarder is using political tactics typically associated with right-wingers to help fight ...read more
Few industry leaders can lay claim to a resume like Casey Sheahan's. The longtime veteran's positions have included CEO of Patagonia, President of KEEN, President of Kelty, and now CEO of Simms in Bozeman, Montana. Over a four-decade career, Sheahan has modeled empathetic, ...read more
The Big Gear Show, the new hardgoods-centric hike, bike, and paddle event launching in Salt Lake City this summer, has a very bold sustainability plan, aiming to be a zero-waste show within three years. In terms of waste management, trade shows have a lot of challenges. “Trade ...read more
The anti-plastic warriors were out in force at last week’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show. Exhibiting members of the Plastic Impact Alliance, a coalition of more than 350 outdoor companies working to eliminate the industry's dependence on single-use plastic, displayed PIA signage at ...read more
We used to come to Outdoor Retailer just to ogle gear, but these days, we’re devoting just as much attention to our industry’s environmental and social impacts. “Responsibility” may have been the biggest buzzword from last week’s convention: Attendees rallied against climate ...read more
Hope you're all recovering from the show. Here are the headlines to get your week started. Calling all leaders: The OIA Board of Directors has released a call for nominations of new board members. The organization is seeking up to four directors and has made clear that it wants ...read more
There are lots of way to make an impact on the world’s raging plastic problem. Every little step away from single-use plastic and towards a circular and petroleum-free world is worth celebrating. Here are a few things we’re stoked about from just a few of our 336 (and counting) ...read more
Appoint a sustainability captain. Exhibiting brands should have one person in charge of communicating, facilitating, and driving sustainability efforts within your teams, which includes all of the below points. Get your Plastic Impact Alliance signage! All PIA member exhibitors: ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. A royal order: The Queen of England is tired of single-use plastic and recently banned its use at all Royal estates. Plastic straws are being phased out. ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Attention Plastic Impact Alliance members: If you're exhibiting at Outdoor Retailer, please click here to get your PIA booth signage. We'll deliver it at the ...read more
The outdoor industry has a love/hate relationship with polybags, those ubiquitous clear plastic bags that seem to encase every apparel item we sell. Growing public awareness about the urgent problem of plastic pollution is intensifying scrutiny of single-use plastic, and how ...read more
Over the last 12 months, we've published more than 630 stories—along with two 100-page magazines—on topics most relevant and important to the outdoor industry. From Alex Honnold's Oscar win to unrest at Camber Outdoors, we've covered the highs and lows that define our 2019 as an ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Last-minute gift idea: A board game about visiting America's National Parks is this GQ writer's favorite game. Questioning cashmere: Patagonia is one of two ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Mammut is for sale: Conzetta, a Swiss holding company with Mammut Sports Group AG in its portfolio, is making a major pivot to focus on its global sheet metal ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. There's a new trade show in town: The Big Gear Show will premiere in July 2020, three weeks after Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. What do you think makes a ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com. Awards for outdoor creatives: ROAM, a Boulder-based online community for adventure creatives, is honoring the very best outdoor and adventure photographs, short ...read more
It’s countdown time to Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, which stages in Denver January 29-31, 2020. Thanks to collaborative efforts of Plastic Impact Alliance members, including the show management, there was a major increase in awareness around single-use plastic at Outdoor ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at snewsedit@aimmedia.com Backcountry update: Following the backlash the online retailer faced, the CEO decided to take action. Is what he's doing enough to regain the trust of customers ...read more
