Tips for Reducing Gear Waste
Not sure how to contribute to Earth Day, or Earth Month? Start with this question: What gear in my closet needs repairing? In reducing our preventable waste, we help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sustain natural habitats for future generations (source).
In today’s time, it’s easy to forget Earth is composed of many ecosystems that all balance and regulate each other. Our linear “take-make-use-dispose” economy is a polluting system that consists of taking a resource, making a product, buying it, using it, and then throwing it away. This has resulted in water contamination from landfill leaks, 1.8+ million acres of habitat destruction (source), and the emission of greenhouse gases like methane (source). On the contrary, circular economies are founded on reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling products to extend their life cycle.
Since most of our products are synthetically made in a lab, think polyester and nylon, they often end up wasted in landfills taking a long time to decompose. Checkout the projected decomposition for each fabric:
Wool: 1 – 5 years
Nylon: 30 – 40 years
Polyester: 20 – 200 years
Spandex: 20 – 200 years
Acrylic: 200 years
Hemp: 2 weeks
Cotton: 1 week – 5 months
(source)
So to honor Earth Day/Month let’s make the theme REDUCE – the first step of the circular framework reduce, reuse, recycle.
Here are four ways to help reduce your gear from ending up in a landfill:
Patch Your Gear Holes
It happens. Your favorite coat suddenly gets a snag, or worse, a rip from a sharp corner. For me it was a tree branch while pow surfing the Outback at Keystone Resort in Colorado. Patching your gear is the first step towards preserving its life.
Materials needed:
- sewing kit
- quality gear tape
- some nice tunes or an audiobook.
If you don’t know how to sew there are plenty of tutorials on youtube and it really isn’t that hard. When you’re done sewing, be sure to warm up your gear tape and slap it on. There’s nothing more seductive than an outdoor coat that’s been well maintained. Yes…even the duct tape ones.
Fix Your Shoes
Have your shoes started talking back to you? I mean the front of the outsole has come loose or unglued. Or maybe you’re busting through the seams due to poor shoe construction. No company is perfect in the beginning, but you can make a perfect repair to instill the longevity of your shoes.
Materials needed:
- Shoe Goo
- C-clamps (or something that can cinch down)
- Sewing Kit
Wash Your Gear
Yeah, I’m calling you out – and me too! Our outdoor gear is tough and can handle all sorts of elements. Unfortunately, overtime dirt grinds and scuffs fabric and sun exposure makes materials brittle and damaged. It might not be your favorite chore, but a quick clean can work wonders every now and then. Mud and dirt left unchecked can cause serious damage over time.
Check out our article “How to Wash Your Winter Outerwear” for more details.
Buy Quality Gear
There’s an expression: “pay for it now, or pay for it later.” When it comes to outdoor gear, skimping on quality for a better price comes with a hidden extra cost. Oftentimes, cheaply-made, low-quality gear tends to break easily, and doesn’t do what it’s designed to do. This doesn’t apply to every piece of gear, but DO YOUR RESEARCH. Read reviews, read the whole product details page, and watch reviews on youtube (if applicable).
I challenge you to find at least one piece of gear that could use some TLC (Tender Loving Care). Then, fix it to reduce the chances of it ending up in a landfill or being recycled! Consider it your Earth Day/Month activity and a way to Spring into sustainable practices. We as a society have swayed away from natural fibers which organisms can easily break down, and have replaced them with polyester and nylon which can leak harmful chemicals into the soil. In my article Outdoor Companies Who Give A Damn About Earth, I mention community-driven outdoor companies breaking the stigma, and setting an industry standard of recycled and organic materials.
Be proactive this Earth Day/Month and preserve your gear!
About the Gear Tester
Amber Davis
- Amber Davis#molongui-disabled-link
- Amber Davis#molongui-disabled-link
- Amber Davis#molongui-disabled-link
- Amber Davis#molongui-disabled-link
