Activewear Brands Making a Positive Sustainability Impact

Meet the activewear brands that are minimizing their carbon footprint and making equity the core focus of their business.

Patagonia: This outdoor brand has been a leader in sustainability and equity for years, implementing a social auditing program covering its entire final production stage that is accredited by the Fair Labor Association. Furthermore, the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, and his family transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to Holdfast Collective, a 501(c)(4) organization committed to preserving wildlands, funding grassroots environmental organizations, and supporting politicians working to fight the climate crisis.

Girlfriend Collective: This Seattle-based athletic brand offers sustainable activewear made from recycled materials and prioritizes inclusivity by offering a wide range of sizes. They are transparent about their production and labor practices, and are certified by SA8000® Standard - SAI. Additionally, they have a unique recycling program called ReGirlfriend, where customers can send back their old Girlfriend Collective products to be recycled, thus eliminating their clothing from ending up in landfills.

Threads 4 Thought: This activewear brand reduces its wastewater by using a closed-loop system in most of its supply chain. Threads 4 Thought has a Code of Conduct that covers all of the ILO Five Fundamental Freedoms principles: 1) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, 2) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor, 3) the effective abolition of child labor, 4) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, and 5) a safe and healthy working environment.

Allbirds: Allbirds is a sustainable athletic brand that uses natural materials like wool, eucalyptus, and sugarcane to reduce their environmental footprint. Allbirds and ZQ Merino held a Regenerative Wool Summit in New Zealand to bring together 160 farmers from across the country to educate them on regenerative farming practices, recognizing that soil carbon sequestration is one of the greatest opportunities to address climate change as well as the financial well-being of farmers.

Firecrown is highlighting these brands because they are not only engaging in innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions along their supply chains and using environmentally friendly materials, but they are committed to upholding fair labor and protecting workers’ rights.

As a consumer, a useful resource to learn about how well companies are actually performing compared to their public commitments is the website good on you. We encourage consumers to utilize this comprehensive guide for corporate accountability to determine which companies are taking strides to incorporate sustainability and human rights into their operations.