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- When you buy a backpack or jacket from these seven outdoor gear and apparel brands, you’re also supporting programs that clean up the planet, improve access to the outdoors, and improve the environment.
- They each have their own models. United by Blue, for example, removes one pound of trash from the world’s waterways for every product sold.
- Meanwhile, REI donates to more than 400 non-profit organizations and gathers volunteers to impact local outdoor spaces. Read on for more brands.
Corporate responsibility is woven into the business models of many retail companies today. Often times, their programs and initiatives have a direct relation to their business. For example, Leesa donates mattresses to those in need and school supply brands donate backpacks and snacks to children who otherwise lack access.
The theme holds true for outdoor gear and apparel companies, too. Of all the different types of retailers, it makes sense that outdoor companies are among the most socially and environmentally conscious, because their products directly encourage interactions with our earth.
If you’re someone who’s shopping for hiking clothes, camping gear, and outdoor sports supplies, you probably enjoy being outside, and so you care about preserving and maintaining the planet — both for your own enjoyment and the enjoyment of future generations.
By shopping at the following seven outdoor retailers, you can help give back to the environment. They donate time, money, and resources to clean up our planet; increase educational opportunities about and access to outdoor exploration; support environment-related legislation, and host volunteer events.
Shop these 7 brands that are helping you enjoy the outdoors through more than just their products.
Columbia
Columbia/Facebook
Shop Columbia outdoor gear and apparel here: Columbia | Amazon | REI | Macy’s
Once a hat distributor in the 1930s, the Oregon-based company is now a shopping destination for outdoor clothing and gear, best known for its jackets and boots. Columbia provides annual product and cash donations to a variety of conservation-focused non-profits such as The Conservation Alliance, The Ocean Foundation, and the National Park Foundation. Through these partnerships, Columbia has helped build filtration towers in areas of Vietnam without access to clean water and improved access to outdoor education for children.
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi/Facebook
Shop outdoor gear and apparel at Cotopaxi here
Host of the adventurous city scavenger hunt Questival, maker of one of our favorite carry-on bags, certified B Corp that leaves no stone unturned in fighting poverty around the world — that’s relative newcomer Cotopaxi in a nutshell.
The company hones in on three pillars that are important for creating a sustainable path out of poverty — health, education, livelihoods — and selects high-impact organizations to collaborate with accordingly. On its website, you’ll find clear Impact Reports that delineate how your Cotopaxi purchase helps someone in need.
REI
REI
Shop outdoor gear and apparel at REI here
Love trying different outdoor brands? REI plays host to all the top outdoor gear and clothing companies, as well as its own REI Co-op brand. Its unique co-op model means that more than 70% of its annual profits are given back to the outdoor community, in the form of dividends to more than 18 million members and investments in outdoors-related non-profits. Some more impressive numbers to chew on: In 2018, it invested $8.4 million in 431 non-profit partners and rallied 150,000 volunteers to impact more than 5,000 outdoor spaces nationwide.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Connie Chen)