Alte FriedmanWhen picturing sport fans, the image of a loud, obnoxious, and ironically out of shape meatheads comes to mind. Athletes themselves fare a little bit better, with many of them good looking and promoting healthier behaviors and habits than those the regular fans represent.
One place both could certainly improve vastly is in wearing eco-conscious athletic clothing brands. Why? Because regular sports clothing consumes unholy amounts of water for their cotton needs, to not even mention the working conditions of factories in the developing world. It’s something that simply cannot be ignored once you learn about it.
We can help make a tremendous cultural shift that greatly helps sustainability efforts worldwide by wearing eco-conscious athletic brands, make them go popular and, hopefully, getting famous athletes to wear them, instantly bringing sustainability to the mainstream. You can start this revolution by purchasing from these eco-conscious athletic brands.
#1 Aerosports
Aero Sports is a unique sports equipment manufacturer spun out of the Composite Recycling Technology Center (CRTC) located next to the majestic Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, WA. Aero Sports products are designed, developed, manufactured, and tested in the USA. They are 100% dedicated to providing unsurpassed products and customer service while remaining GREEN.
#2 Rockay
Rockay came up with the perfect solution to combine both interests into a productive venture-using plastic from the ocean to create comfortable, distinctive, odorless gear for runners of all ages and backgrounds. It’s been estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic infiltrate oceans every year and within 5 years or less, they aim to eliminate at least 1 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean!
Additionally, this enterprise has also integrated an odorless technology (Polygiene) system into their clothing line. Polygiene is used by brands such as Adidas and Patagonia; its unique coding makes clothing anti-bacterial (bacteria is the reason why clothes smell).
So, instead of washing clothes repeatedly, the user can simply let it dry on a hanger and use it again and again.. Tested to be 100% safe, wear and tear on clothing is decreased dramatically and remains true to the eco-friendly aspect with less water wasted on repetitive washings. For the busy entrepreneur on the go, this is a perfect accessory for their workout routine, and it allows the user to support a great cause.
#3 Outdoor Voices
This is your go-to brand if you’re looking for eco-conscious athleisure. They prioritize a dedication to minimizing environmental waste. Fabrics include Rec Poly which is recycled polyester made from used water bottles and Eco Mesh that is 100% recycled. This means you’ve got yourself a guilt-free workout made from recycled fabrics.
#4 Guzzle H2O
Guzzle H2O helps athletes who love the outdoors to confidently and conveniently refill water bottles with safe and great tasting drinking water, thereby eliminating the need for single use plastic bottled water. Just one filter replacement cycle on a Guzzle H20 system can save 700 pounds of plastic trash.
#5 Pure By Luce
Each activewear garment is made from sustainable materials from European weavers and sewn in ethically-managed factories in Portugal.
#6 Allbirds
All-birds came from a New Zealander who saw the quality of wool on the islands and, understanding the sustainable nature of the material, wondered why it wasn’t being put to use in footwear.
He teamed up with a renewables expert to transform the wool into a material that could be used in sneakers and that’s how Allbirds was formed.
#7 Voormi
VOORMI, a high-performance natural fiber based, outdoor apparel company. Their athletic wear is made especially for athletes who find themselves in all sorts of weather conditions, from backcountry skiing to desert mountain biking. Using merino wool and other natural fibers allow these athletes to have a durable, long-lasting piece of clothing that doesn’t need to be ironed and can be worn longer – despite the sweat. Perfect for the 21st century athletic minimalist. Their products are wholly manufactured in the United States.
#8 Vapor Fresh
Vapor Fresh is strong enough to eliminate sweat and odor in the smelliest gym clothes, but is also gentle enough for everyday use on all laundry
Vapor Fresh uses an advanced enzyme blend to allow it to perform well in cold water, which can help lower energy consumption by up to 90% from a warm (or hot) water wash and reduce energy costs by $0.60 per load
Vapor Fresh is free and clear of unnecessary additives such as fragrances, brighteners, dyes and softeners that other companies use to hide their lack of cleaning power for those with sensitive skin.
#9 Body Glove
Body Glove, the California-based company was founded in 1953 as a family-owned business rooted in the surf and watersports culture. Backed by over six decades of quality, Body Glove continues to develop innovative products to enhance comfort, safety and fun for all, both in and out of the water, including swimwear, activewear, all-season wetsuits and watersports equipment.
The recommendations of products and books within this article where sourced from industry experts. Their names and websites are listed below.
Risalat from Real Hard Games
Daniel Chabert from Rockay
Nate Masterson from NateMasterson
Tyler Bech from Guzzle H2O LLC
Nomindari Mendee from Yashmere LLC
Danny McLoughlin from RunRepeat
Haley Kieser from VOORMI
Natalie Mikolich from Vapor Fresh
Katie Hostetler from Body Glove
