Columbia receives award for eco-friendly jacket
24/01/2017
REI said the award aims to highlight the most innovative and responsibly designed new products. The 2017 prize was given to Columbia for its OutDry Extreme Eco Jacket.
Unveiled in June 2016, it is a high-performance environmentally friendly rain jacket made from recycled plastic. It uses no Perflourinated compounds (PFCs), as well as a fabric that isn’t dyed in order to save water.
REI spoke to a variety of industry figures to create a shortlist of 37 products for the Root Award. They came from a range of categories: apparel, ski, snowboard, camping equipment, climbing equipment, packs and more.
Each product was assessed by its sustainability team against four criteria: degree of sustainable innovation; contribution to solving an industry wide sustainability challenge; alignment with REI’s Better Materials and Gear that Lasts focus areas for product sustainability; and product scalability.
It chose Columbia’s product because it offered high performance and enhanced sustainability, while also helping to address the industry-wide challenge of sustainable water-repellent garments.
Image shows Columbia's OutDry Extreme Eco Jacket alongside the Root Award (credit: REI).
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