Sustainability

As we have seen our snowpack, winters and overall climate shift over the past 30 years, we believe that informed decisions and hard work can help reduce our environmental impact so that the snow is just as deep for our grandkids as it is for us. 
We've challenged ourselves to do more to offset our carbon footprint, and to do it faster. We’re working with Climate Neutral, an independent non-profit organization, to measure and offset our entire 2021 carbon emissions, and implement plans to reduce emissions moving forward. We’ll purchase quality carbon credits to offset this year’s emissions. Carbon offsets are investment projects that either avoid carbon from being emitted, like renewable energy, or remove carbon from the atmosphere, like planting forests.
In our home state of California, we’ve helped the Yurok Tribe repatriate their indigenous lands along the Blue Creek in Northern California through the purchase of 1000 carbon credits, each counting toward 1MT of carbon removal, via letting the land return to full forest and ensuring that it stays that way.
One key step in our sustainability journey is transparency; transparency for both ourselves and for our customers. In order to achieve this, we have dedicated ourselves to measuring 686's Carbon Footprint. Our Carbon Footprint is calculated using the Higg Product Module 1.0 (Higg PM 1.0 at Higg.org) developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). We have tracked our carbon emissions through the following cradle-to-grave areas: materials, manufacturing, transportation, product use, end of life.
 
At 686 we want to be more than just a brand. We want to help make a difference in our local community and inspire our employees to do the same. We've partnered with organizations and charities to help drive accessibility in the outdoors. More here.
On Earth Day and the following Saturday, 686 pledges to give back 10% of all purchases to the Ron Finley Project. The Ron Finley Project is a South LA based company that focuses on how to transform food deserts into food sanctuaries, and teaching individuals how to regenerate their lands into creative business models.
We've take steps to increase our production efficiency from 85.5% to 87% of fabric used. This means that throughout 2021 we saved 4+ miles of fabric from going to the landfill and recycled this fabric into 4,058 units of product. 
As we aim to reduce waste during all parts of the product life cycle, we have turned to more and more recycled fibers where possible. Utilizing multiple sources of recycled insulation throughout our GLCR products and insulators, we continue to recycle thousands of plastic bottles that would have otherwise found their way into landfills.
 
Hydrastash is a reusable hydration source that cuts down on single use waste and provides on-demand hydration discretely hidden within your garment. The BPA free and anti-microbial bladder is easy to remove and clean.
1% of all Hydrastash sales goes toward charity: water to help provide clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.
 
 
Since 2013, in response to the literal mountains of wasted textiles that end up in landfills every year, we have found ways to create unique products from our own leftovers and scraps. Fabric that would normally be burned or trashed is upcycled into limited edition garments and accessories.
 
 
686 is committed to conducting its business with integrity, both legally and ethically. 686 guidelines on social responsibility are consistent with industry-specific requirements and practices, such as the Fair Labor Association Workplace Code of Conduct, and based on International Labor Organization (ILO) standards, the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on Children’s Rights, the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the UN Global Compact and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. More here.
 
Our policy is to have all animals from which we derive our down and wool allowed the Five Freedoms: 1) Freedom from hunger or thirst. 2) Freedom from discomfort. 3) Freedom from pain, injury or disease. 4) Freedom to express most normal behavior. 5) Freedom from fear and distress. More here. 
 
686 is committed to ensuring that our products are made from well understood chemical inputs and that our products do not include banned chemicals, restricted chemicals or chemicals of concern. More here.