September 23, 2024
Found in “Gear”
This week, we’re shining a spotlight on the hidden features of the gear we sell: chemistry.
When you’re shopping for outdoor gear, most of us look at cool features you can see – taped seams, cleverly placed pockets, reflective materials. But we’re uncovering the behind the scenes of the stuff you don’t see, like the vats of swirling dyes or chemistry that makes your gear waterproof.
Wait – what does chemistry have to do with outdoor gear?
If you’re looking for products that aren’t made with any chemicals, you’ll likely have a hard time. Even most natural fabrics require chemistry. Dyes, water repellents, stain release agents – it’s all chemistry. Most of us don’t think about it since we don’t see it.
What’s the problem with chemistry?
Not all chemistry is bad -- chemistry can underpin the technical innovations in products and materials that we love. Some chemicals, however, also have negative consequences on human health and the environment.
What’s surprising to most people is that only a tiny portion of the chemicals used to make a material – about 10% – end up in the final product. The majority are used in processes along the way, like anti-foaming agents to help make sure dyes aren’t patchy. These chemicals can end up harming the environment (e.g. emissions, waste materials or wastewater) or hurting people who are working with them (e.g. carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, harsh reproductive toxins) if they are not managed responsibly.
Global supply chains are extremely complex, and managing chemistry at every step of the way is a tall task. So at MEC, we look to the experts and work with companies like bluesign® to help us out.
How does bluesign® help?
Bluesign® is a company that works on chemical management with players across each step of the supply chain. They work with brands (like MEC Label), fabric mills, and chemical suppliers, with the goal of creating and using the best chemistry possible.
Good chemistry means that:
-
Toxins aren’t released into air, water or on land
-
People aren’t harmed by chemicals they’re handling
-
There’s a lower environmental impact, since less water, energy and actual chemicals need to be used
Bluesign® aims to cut out harmful chemicals before the manufacturing processes even start. One way to look at bluesign® is through the analogy of baking cookies for someone with a nut allergy – bluesign® would make sure nuts weren’t in the raw ingredients, or in the kitchen, and label it “nut-free,” instead of leaving it to us to test a baked cookie to see what’s inside.
Bluesign® focuses on the inputs for textile processing: they audit the bluesign® certified sites (or facilities) for the raw materials, chemicals and energy going in and the waste, water and air emissions going out, which helps to reduce environmental impacts and improve the health and safety of workers.
What can MEC members do about all this?
Good news: your choices have an impact. We recognize that no individual, organization or brand is perfect (including MEC), but individual actions are a great place to start.
Products with bluesign®-approved materials are a great way to know the fabric in that product is safe and free from the most harmful substances and had a direct positive impact on the people who made the item and their local environment.