You have to take the bad with the good, as the saying goes. After living in a pandemic for so long, it’s easy to concentrate on the bad side of life. But often it’s just a question of perspective. Perhaps you’ve even got used to the restrictions and have learnt to enjoy the simple things in life, such as being outdoors and exploring your surroundings. At least that’s how I feel.
It seems that I’m not the only one spending more time outdoors. The Bavarian Alps have become more popular than ever before. It’s good that we are spending more time outside, but is it possible to enjoy the outdoors in a more sustainable way? And what does that actually mean?
Take your litter home with you, put your sandwich in a classic lunch box instead of cling film, use public transport or your bike instead of a car. Simple respect the nature and:
Try your personal best to act sustainably.
The word sustainability is quite popular these days. But living a more sustainable lifestyle isn’t just about how we act, it’s also about what we buy, for example buying clothing made from eco-friendly materials. But it doesn’t stop there, sustainability is also about the ethics of the company behind the product.
At Gore we are committed to protecting the planet and continuously improving the impact of our operations and products on the environment. This means that we try to keep our ecological footprint as low as possible by reducing our carbon emissions, using fewer chemicals and embracing sustainable innovation. You can find out more right here.
Durable Performance: How you could have a sustainable impact on the environment
On one of my last trips to the mountains I accidentally caught my GORE-TEX jacket on a branch and tore a hole in one of the sleeves. Argh, too bad. Now what; buy a new jacket? I’ve been wearing my GORE-TEX jacket for the past nine years. It’s accompanied me up mountains, to all corners of the world, and on many a wet-weather shopping spree. We go back a long way. There are so many great memories. But this isn’t about emotions, it’s about durable performance.
Durability and longevity are key features of all GORE-TEX products
Our studies have shown that the best way to minimize the environmental footprint of a functional outdoor jacket is to enhance its durability. That’s why quality, durability and performance are the cornerstones of all our products. To put it simply: The longer you use your GORE-TEX gear, the better it is for the environment So, returning to my question as to whether I should buy a new jacket, the answer is probably not.
After all, the single best thing we can do to minimize the environmental footprint of a product is to keep it in use for longer. That's why we encourage you to do just that. Continue using your GORE-TEX gear for as long as possible and keep all those memories alive!
We believe that we can make a real difference by working with our brand partners and you, our wearers and users, towards a shared goal. It’s not that we want you to look like you’re wearing a museum piece. All we want you to do is think twice before buying your next GORE-TEX garment.
Still: There’s a hole in my jacket.
If you want a real quick solution, seal the wound of your garment with a repair patch. In a long-run please check out our repair centers: www.gore-tex.com/en_uk/support/repairs. To bridge the time your jacket is on a wellness-repair-retreat, how about diving deeper into the whole topic of sustainability at Gore?
Enjoy the outdoors.
Laila
