Outdoor brand Black Diamond is taking steps towards sustainability with a new initiative focusing on using recycled materials in its trekking poles and other products.
The Utah brand wants to reduce its carbon emissions and make climbing and hiking more sustainable for its millions of customers by using recycled aluminum.
It has partnered with laboratory testing company UL Solutions to establish a benchmark for the levels of recycled material used in its gear.
UL Solutions has tested Black Diamond's best-selling Trail, Trail Cork, and Trail Back trekking poles to confirm that they're made from 30% recycled aluminum, which makes up at least 14% of the poles' total weight.
The company's Pursuit FLZ, Distance FLZ, and Distance Z poles are also made from 30% recycled aluminum, with a minimum of 16% recycled materials making up the entire product.
Black Diamond says it will continue to integrate recycled aluminum into its trekking poles and aims to cut approximately 88 tons of carbon emissions each year in the process.
This latest initiative is part of Black Diamond's greater ambition to halve its carbon emissions by 2030.
“We’ve been pursuing a palpable reduction in our carbon footprint as a part of our overarching sustainability initiative,” said company president Neil Fiske.
“Replacing raw material with recycled material wherever possible plays a large role in shrinking that footprint."
How to hike more sustainably
Hiking is one of the world's most popular sports, but they can also burden the planet. If you want to reduce your impact, look below for some tips
- Shop sustainably - Hiking is a gear-intensive sport and the kit we use often takes a battering. If you need some new hiking shoes try to buy from an eco-conscious brand like Edelrid, La Sportiva, or Patagonia. You can also buy second-hand, although any safety equipment purchased should always be new.
- Leave no trace - If you're trekking a new trail, don't harm ecosystems by removing rocks and shrubbery in your way. Avoid trampling on plants and remember to pick up your trash, so you can leave no trace and keep the environment as you found it.
- The best hiking boots: protect your feet on any trail with our top choices
- The best bivy sacks: for every kind of lightweight camping adventure
