Take, make, dispose. This relentless cycle fuels the scourge of fast fashion, single-use coffee pods, mountains of cheap plastic junk... It's the grim reality behind garbage islands and the depletion of our planet's resources. Sadly, this wasteful pattern even lurks in our outdoor gear – flimsy camping equipment, electronics with short lifespans, and wasteful packaging on single-use meals.

But there's a better way. Our grandfathers were right - buy good stuff that will last, and you only have to buy it once. There's a new term for this old wisdom - the circular economy - a system designed to eliminate waste by keeping products and materials in productive use for as long as possible.

It's time to demand better from our favorite outdoor brands! Ask about their repair programs, support long-lasting designs, and let your dollars drive a more sustainable future. Here are 8 inspiring examples of brands embracing circular principles:

Vivobarefoot ReVivo

Over 20 billion pairs of shoes are produced by the global shoe industry every year. Most end up in a landfill. This innovative program from Vivobarefoot takes back used Vivobarefoot shoes, breaks them down, and repurposes the materials to create new footwear components, promoting a closed-loop system.

Houdini Rental & Subscription Models

This Swedish outdoor brand offers rental and subscription models for their garments. Rentals are short term leasing for a week or a weekend. Subscription is the full access to a Houdini wardrobe paid by a monthly fee. By renting out gear instead of selling, Houdini can provide customers with gear for each adventure without the hassle of washing, fixing or storing it. Houdini envisions a circular future where the customer pays for access to a product and products will be transformed into services.

Patagonia Worn Wear

No surprise that Patagonia is a leader in this space. Patagonia has a robust program dedicated to extending product life. They offer repair services, facilitate the resale of used items, and even creatively upcycle worn-out garments into new products. Worn Wear allows you to trade in and buy used Patagonia gear.

Allbirds ReRun

Through this program, Allbirds takes gently used shoes, cleans them, and resells them at a discount, encouraging product longevity. Allbirds ReRun is a marketplace where you can shop slightly imperfect and gently used products, extending their life and lowering the impact on the planet.

The North Face Renewed

Renewed is a program focused on extending the life of used North Face gear, promoting a circular economy, and reducing waste. The North Face collects used clothing and footwear, thoroughly cleans and repairs the items, and then offers them for resale at reduced prices on their Renewed website. If items cannot be refurbished, they are responsibly recycled or donated to help reduce landfill impact.

PrimaLoft P.U.R.E.

P.U.R.E is a biodegradable synthetic insulation developed by PrimaLoft. It's designed to break down faster in specific landfill environments to reduce textile waste and drastically reduce the carbon emissions produced during the process. This manufacturing technology significantly improves the energy efficiency of the process, resulting in carbon savings of up to 70%.

Barebones Replacement Parts

Somewhere along the line, the idea of replacement parts went the way of rotary phones. Barebones Living is bringing it back. The company now offers a suite of parts for their most popular products which saves money and resources as well as reduces what ends up in a landfill. 

Filson Resale Program

Already a brand known for making heirloom quality goods that last generations, Filson has stepped up to release a new used resale program for any goods that someone was crazy enough to not keep (because we know those products didn't fail in the field). These products are made to a high standard and will last as long as you care to take care of them.