The Problem
It is estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. According to the European Environment Agency, textile purchases in the EU in 2017 generated about 654 kg of CO2 emissions per person.
There are environmental impacts along the entire supply chain with chemicals and carbon emitted during production and transportation. Large volumes of water used to create these products and millions of tonnes of plastic microfibres washed into the ocean during cleaning.
Individual ownership and fast fashion where by people change clothes seasonally discarding unwanted gear amplifies the problem.
Possible Solution
An outdoor equipment subscription scheme designed to challenge the traditional models of ownership.
How it works
- Individuals subscribe to the scheme on an annual basis, with monthly payments.
- They then receive tokens that are redeemable against products in store. Each token comes with a value and a time scale detailing how long a product can be borrowed for.
- Tokens can be used throughout the year to rent products. Take a warm ski jacket and pants for the start of winter and then maybe switch up to a touring jacket in spring. Borrow the camping pack for a couple of weeks in the summer, take the touring bike complete with panniers on an adventure. Use the via ferrata gear to explore the mountains or change up your wardrobe and style without the impact.
- Damage the gear, no problem, you don’t own it and we have the team best equipped to repair it.
- We keep the gear in service. Clean it and waterproof it an environmentally friendly manner. Then when it reaches end of life we repurpose or recycle the fabrics where possible.
So, that’s it. The principle is to challenge current ownership models whilst providing affordable outdoor equipment. Essentially you could go on any type of adventure in the mountains throughout the year without the impact and cost. We’re looking at subscription rates starting at 500 euros annually. You could have all the kit necessary for mountain adventures for a year at the price of a single jacket. All the funds go into running our community hub and our not-for-profit association.
The gear that is used in the subscription service is rescued from landfill. Working with partners we receive warranty equipment that is then repaired and added to the collection. We’re also looking for partners that produce products that are made from natural materials therefore eliminating pollution.
The wardrobe
Use this space as your own personal wardrobe, take the clothing, bikes, camping packages and much more out in to the mountains.
Part of the subscription range
Thanks to donations from brands and individuals our collective wardrobe is stacked full of goodies.
The Trial
We have a group of individuals currently trialling the model to help us refine the details and offering. They’re searching out gaps that we might have in the stock whilst spending their time having fun in the mountains, tough job!
They’ll regularly post on our instagram page about the adventures both them and the outdoor equipment is on. So, if you’d like to find out more please give us a follow and if you have any comments and suggestions about the model please leave them below.
