San Leandro, CA — The North Face®, a premier supplier of outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, has partnered with upcycling and recycling pioneer TerraCycle® to keep plastic polybags — used to protect apparel through distribution and transit — out of landfills. The North Face Polybag Brigade® will divert 100% of the polybag packaging waste at the 20 The North Face retail stores in the United States where #4 plastic bags are not readily recyclable. “Eliminating waste at all stages of the product lifecycle is a key component of The North Face comprehensive sustainability program,” says Adam Mott, corporate sustainability manager for The North Face.

The North Face has partnered with upcycling and recycling pioneer TerraCycle to keep plastic polybags, which are used to protect apparel through distribution and transit, out of landfills. The North Face said its Polybag Brigade will divert 100% of the polybag packaging waste at twenty The North Face retail stores in the United States where #4 plastic bags are not readily recyclable. "Eliminating waste at all stages of the product lifecycle is a key component of The North Face comprehensive sustainability program," said Adam Mott, The North Face Corporate Sustainability Manager. "This partnership with TerraCycle is helpful in diverting this packaging waste stream from landfills." Through The North Face Polybag Brigade, The North Face and TerraCycle are actively pursuing a solution to a common packaging waste problem in the apparel industry. TerraCycle will repurpose the bags into various products such as plastic lumber, bike racks, pavers, kitchen utensils and plastic tote bags for re-use.

In July 2004, while backpacking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), I ran into a patch of really nasty weather and bivouacked a night on Lodge Lake (47.408457 N, 121.430168 W), just south of Snoqualmie Summit. I was out of gas for cooking and was soaked to the bone from a torrential downpour that had blown in from Puget Sound. Getting a fire going quickly was imperative. However, everything in the vicinity was soaked and I had virtually nothing available that would do more than pathetically produce smoke. Ultimately, I was forced to shred the footprint for my Kelty Raptor tent to get a fire going. While it was a real bummer to loose part of the tent, I was grateful for the added warmth in what turned out to be a very cold and wet night. This experience taught me to always carry the essentials for getting a fire going. This is especially important in places like the Pacific Northwest where heavy rainfall can limit fuel sources. I’ve found that dryer lint is one of the more effective items to carry. It’s light weight and burns extremely well. I’ve also just recently been introduced to Eco-Friendly Fire Starters made by a company called TerraCycle. For hikers, bikers, campers, and general outdoor enthusiasts who subscribe strictly to Leave No Trace (LNT) principles (and all of you should), this is a product and company you’ll be keenly interested in.

The North Face and Terracycle have launched an initiative to improve recycling rates of the poly bags that the outdoor gear brand’s products come shipped in. Terracycle will provide pre-paid postage for green-minded consumers to mail their polybags in. The firm says it will then “upcycle” the bags into consumer products such as park benches and trash cans.

The North Face®, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, has partnered with upcycling and recycling pioneer TerraCycle® to keep plastic polybags, used to protect apparel through distribution and transit, out of landfills. The North Face Polybag Brigade® will divert 100% of the polybag packaging waste at the 20 The North Face retail stores in the United States where #4 plastic bags are not readily recyclable. “Eliminating waste at all stages of the product lifecycle is a key component of The North Face comprehensive sustainability program,” said Adam Mott, The North Face Corporate Sustainability Manager. “This partnership with TerraCycle is helpful in diverting this packaging waste stream from landfills.” Through The North Face Polybag Brigade, The North Face and TerraCycle are actively pursuing a solution to a common packaging waste problem in the apparel industry. TerraCycle will repurpose the bags into various products such as plastic lumber, bike racks, pavers, kitchen utensils and plastic tote bags for re-use.