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Everybody, in some way, I think,
identifies with an open space or the outdoors,
and it represents something different to them.
And the notion of that disappearing
is really powerful.
In terms of the most practical
sort of real negative consequence here
is just a reduction or loss of where we recreate.
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We have a commitment to putting purpose over profit.
What that means is every product we make,
we're putting it to the highest standards
of durability, value,
while still keeping our mind on sustainability.
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At REI, we believe that a life outdoors
is a life well-lived.
We think our love of the outdoors is infectious,
and we can share that love through the gear we make.
As a product team,
our quest for sustainability is never over.
We're always asking ourselves the hard questions,
we're always asking what's next,
and we're constantly pushing to do the right thing.
With each purchase that you make at REI,
we give a portion of the proceeds
back to the outdoors.
We want the consumer to be our partner.
The more we all do together,
the better impact we can have.
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We've never gone down the easy route.
Instead, we've always taken an uncommon path.
Because many of the times,
taking that uncommon path leads us to the right decisions,
whether it's for the product, our consumers,
and ultimately, the environment.
We take a very involved approach
to understanding the entire life cycle
of each of our products.
This goes from the design to the development stages,
as well as the selection of materials,
and when we seek partners,
we're looking at manufacturing partners,
we seek those who have
an alignment with our values at REI,
and that to me is a foundation
for a great partnership.
Well, the Rainier Jacket is an awesome technical piece.
Not only is it fully waterproof and breathable,
but it's also really versatile in its styling,
so you can wear it anywhere.
We have a nylon ripstop shell,
which is recycled fabric, recycled nylon.
We also have used 100% bluesign fabrics
in the construction.
Behind the scenes, we're also working
with our manufacturing partners
to look at ways of increasing efficiencies
but also reducing wastage.
In 2018, what we did was,
we looked at what we've learned in-house
as a co-op brand
to see what we've done around our own journey
on sustainability, and brought that all together
under the product sustainability standards
that we have now, and we've shared that
with all the brands that we partner with,
and hopefully,
by providing them this set of standards,
it helps those brands look at embedding
some of these practices that we have
to drive a more sustainable practice
in their own organization
and bring sustainable products to the stores.
Today, we're learning into
how we can ensure products are sustainable
after they're purchased.
You know, we're thinking about how we manufacture products
and the durability of that product,
and extending its life cycle.
And then, secondarily,
we're creating different models
that allow customers to access products differently,
and to keep them in the field longer,
we have a used gear platform.
It's both manifest in a physical and digital way,
and those both are effectively us taking
a return product that's been pre-loved and owned
and finding a second home
and sort of extending its life cycle.
And then, our second model
that we're intently focused on here
is our rentals business,
which in effect is taking a single product and saying,
how many uses can we get out of that single product
over its life before it's no longer useful.
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My husband and I love to take our kids outdoors
whenever we can,
whether it's to go hiking, rock scrambling,
or even just looking for crab holes in sandy beaches.
And every time we go out,
we come back feeling rejuvenated
and with smiles plastered on our faces.
And to me,
that exudes the love of the outdoors
and that's why it's so important for us
to be fighting for the outdoors.
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We make sustainable products
that are held to the highest industry standards.
We have a great team who's dedicated
to doing the right thing.
We believe in what we're doing,
and we believe that we can impact this planet
in a positive way.
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