At RE ZRO®, we want to celebrate the things our partners, and companies across similar industries are doing for sustainability. We are committed to creating better products for consumers, considering their end-of-life through every step of the design process.

But, we (understandably) spend a lot of time talking about our efforts at RE ZRO®, and what we’re doing in our fight for more sustainable and responsible practices. So, what about other companies? Our goal is to see more companies moving with us in the journey towards responsible and sustainable practices, and we love seeing what companies are already doing. So, we have put together a list championing things that we admire.

Progress is made through collaboration, and celebrating others’ successes is vital. Time for us to put our cheerleading hats on!

deuter

Starting strong with one of our partners, deuter. We collaborated with deuter for the 20th anniversary of the ‘Attack’ backpack, developing a custom removable back protector. This back protector gave the ‘Attack’ an added sustainable feature, as our armour are all made to be biodegradable* and recyclable**.

deuter also has a repair service. Whether you bought your product in store, on an online retailer or through deuter.com, they provide detailed information as to how to submit your item for repairs. The repairs page includes a list of what can be repaired and how, for example replacing a zipper. For the smaller repairs, such as cord stoppers and buckles, deuter has video instructions for replacing them, in order to increase the lifespan of their products.

Repairs have been happening at deuter for 120 years, demonstrating the brand's long-term commitment to durability. They make it clear on their website that they encourage people to repair, demonstrating that this can be done without detriment to the performance of the backpack or sleeping bag.

This is a much more responsible and sustainable means of consumption, as just because something has broken, doesn’t mean it should end up in landfill.

Charles Owen

Charles Owen, a Welsh Civic Trust award winner,  has some sustainability efforts that are unique in this list, including their UK factories running on 100% renewable energy, and their engagement with planting trees.

But before delving into that, Charles Owen is also a partner of RE ZRO®. The Charles Owen ‘Eclipse’ gilet features a RE ZRO® back protector, with extended sizes. Charles Owen recently extended the colourway into Navy, providing more chance for their consumers to pick a sustainably designed product.

Charles Owen has a partnership with Ecologi to fund forest restoration projects, they see over 800 trees planted annually, and have funded the planting of 7,728 trees across 20 projects. As for their renewable energy, their website details that 100% of their energy for UK factories and offices comes from certified renewable sources, 30% of that from their own solar panels. What’s more, they collect rainwater from their factory roofs and this is then used within production processes.

Patagonia

A name no doubt we all know, and have probably owned a product of theirs at some point. Patagonia has been pioneering the sustainability sector for years. Their method is radical transparency, owning that everything we make has an impact on the planet.

They also detail their progress, showing that from Spring 2025 onwards, their products have been made without intentionally added PFAS, that 100% of their down is traceable. The Patagonia website features links to their community programmes, social commitment programmes, and all further sustainable initiatives they have.

A standout feature of Patagonia is their repair and resell feature. Patagonia will buy your products and find them a new home, that isn’t the landfill. These preloved items are then resold on their platform ‘Worn Wear’ at a reduced price, better for both the planet and your wallet.

Ornot

Ornot is a San Francisco-based company that focuses on durability and responsible practices. They prioritise recycled materials, PFAS-free coatings, and using deadstock textiles. What’s more, is that for every purchase they donate 1% of the sale to nonprofit organisations working towards cleaner air, water and a healthier planet.

Ornot are a small, independent company, their dedication and commitment to better practices are evident through their material choices, and the donation of profits (which for a small company is a big deal). On top of all this, Ornot were certified as carbon neutral in 2019.

End Note

Now this list is of course not a full and comprehensive list of all the brands out there that are doing good things - that would most definitely be a very long list. Nor does it detail every effort made by these brands. But, these are just a few on our radar, or partners of ours that we want to shout out. It is important to be cheerleaders for people making the change we want to see as we all move forward.

All of these companies are proving that you don't have to sacrifice quality or performance for sustainability - you can make better choices, with just as good (if not better) results.

To find out more about our own sustainability efforts, read more here on our website: https://www.re-zro.com/sustainability

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*RE ZRO® TPE material has been independently tested and achieves the biodegradability of 14.14% over 90 days in accordance with ASTMD5511-18 & ISO 15985 : 2014.

**Ask your local recycling authority if recycling facilities are available for this type of product.

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