prAna and Wild Country: Environmental Efforts

© prAna
Patagonia are known as a pioneering environmental outdoor company; from their 1% for the planet, personal activism, financial support of environmental causes, use of recycled and organic materials, the list goes on and on (read more). They've been green since Yvon Chouinard started the company in 1972.

Another Californian company, prAna (website) are also leading the way with efforts to reduce their impact on soils, water supplies and other natural resources by their use of organic materials, they are a member of the Organic Trade Association, and the off-setting of their business (and personal) carbon footprint by their support of wind power, what they call their Natural Power Initiative that they introduced in 2005. This year prAna has added 100 European and 50 Canadian retailers to the 250 US retailers already participating, and they also support wind farms in China and India. They claim that this will prevent the emission of 22,112 metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere (the equivalent of removing 4,787 cars from the road for one year).

Sure, the above efforts are good for marketing and the image of a company (everyone it seems is jumping on the environmental bandwagon) but they do make a real difference to the world.

It must be difficult for the manufacturers of the climbing hardware that we use, there's no escaping mining metals and using lots of energy to fashion a karabiner or a cam. But there are others ways of helping the environment one step at a time and Wild Country (website), the UK-based 'cam company' have made a stride in that direction; you will now no longer be able to find their print catalogue, like many companies they have now gone totally online, with a product website, and have replaced their print catalogue with a downloadable version.

As well as the actual cost saving, Marketing Manager Richie Patterson explains the other benefits, "Print catalogues can be so wasteful, in time, money and environmental resources. Often people who want them don't get them and they can sit in stores getting trashed to nobody's benefit. In this way, online, whoever wants it can download it quickly and easily, and then it's their choice to print it or not."

Martin Atkinson, Managing Director of Wild Country calls this downloadable catalogue a Webalogue, "It is tempting to try and put a glossy brochure in peoples hands to show our gear; overall it doesn't stack up. In the end a 'Webalogue' is more efficient, adaptable, updatable and much more environmentally friendly. Our Webalogue allows climbers to get a flavour of our gear and then, if they wish, view it and try it 'in the flesh' at a climbing shop."

Do you know of any other environmental efforts by climbing companies? Get in touch or add to the discussion.


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Surley it would more environmentally friendly for rockfax to sell all their guides as downloads, so that only the nessessary crags get printed? If wild country are so bothered about the environment, which being a cynic i seriouslly doubt they are, why don't they change their packaging from, plastic to recycled card?
29 Nov, 2007
Cynicism gets you nowhere, especially as regards environmental efforts. Print will never disappear but you can reduce it, whatever your primary reasons, it all helps. Their is a huge groundswell of environmental efforts across the globe, and many companies and organisations are involved but it is usually done a step at a time. I'm sure recycled packaging is on the cards for many companies if they haven't already gone in that direction. Why only this week I was listening to the radio about a group of Texas mayors, Texas is the most polluting state in the most polluting country in the World, and they had initiated a movement that has stopped the building of coal and oil powered power stations in Texas. Also the anti-plastic bag movement in the UK has now spread to the US. Green is the new black. Lots of small steps, by many, can have a huge positive impact on the environment. Mick
29 Nov, 2007
Mick, I can't believe you are praising WC for saving paper in the same year as they committed to shipping all of their products in from China. Don't get me wrong, I am pleased that they have tried to reduce paper waste, but to suggest that amounts to 'environmental efforts' in conjuction with their other activities is laughable.
29 Nov, 2007
Prana too have some manufacturing abroad as do most outdoor companies, they have to, to compete. Gear that we are willing to sell and buy. Does this mean that any efforts to reduce impact should not be applauded, welcomed and encouraged? Whilst no-one is above criticism, more encouragement to reduce environmental impact from the climbing community to all outdoor companies could have a big effect. Mick
29 Nov, 2007
Good job reporting it, its good to see outdoor companies doing something for the environment. Im not sure about the lots of little steps point. global warmings pretty bad already and with over 2 billion people in India and China becoming industrialised id say big steps are needed. Anyway good to know thier doing something.
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