The Very Best Repair and Reuse Programs from Our Favorite Outdoor Brands

(The final resting place for last season's fashion)

By The Western Wild Crew

The statistics paint a stark picture. Every year, the global apparel and footwear industry produces nearly 100 million tons of waste. This waste, largely comprised of discarded clothes and shoes, overwhelms landfills, with less than 1% of textiles being recycled. Compounding this issue is the fact that synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon can take centuries to decompose in landfills. Moreover, the PFAS used in many apparel and shoe products, known as "forever chemicals," pose a myriad of health risks for both humans and the environment, persisting indefinitely without natural degradation.

In short, no matter how conscious and responsible we may be, we can't buy our way to a more sustainable future. We can however, reduce our waste. One way to do that is to reject the "fast fashion" trend and instead buy high-quality, durable products designed to last in the first place. But nothing lasts forever (except those PFAs apparently), so the ability to prolong the life of our gear through repair, recycling and reuse is critical to reducing our waste.

Here's our list of outdoor brands offering, repair, recycle and reuse options for outdoor gear.

Second Chance Gear from Our Favorite Outdoor Brands

Vivobarefoot - “Revivo”
Buy refurbished, repair and return used Vivobarefoot footwear: because one of the best things we can do is buy less, fix more and use footwear longer.

Filson - “Unfailing”
Filson's marketplace for Irregular and imperfect gear includes a trade in for credit program.

Patagonia - “Worn Wear”
Worn Wear allows you to trade in and buy used Patagonia gear.

The North Face - “Renewed”
Give gear a second chance with The North Face Renewed. It’s inspected, washed, tuned up and ready to hit the trail—again.

Allbirds - “Rerun”
Extending the life of Allbirds shoes by finding them a new home.

Cotopaxi - “Más Vida”
Give good gear more life. Cotopaxi Más Vida empowers you to shop even more sustainably by buying or trading in used products.

Houdini - “Reuse”
Find unique, top condition Houdini garments or give your old garments new life by passing them forward to a new owner.

Stio - “Second Turn”
Keep more gear in use and out of landfills. Shop or trade in used items and give your gear its second turn at more adventures.

Tentree - “Circularity”
Tentree offers store credit for returning Tentree gear for recycling. The company also has a robust used marketplace where consumers can both buy and sell their Tentree gear directly.

Big Agnes - “2nd Routt Program”
Recycling old Big Agnes gear into new gear.

Brands Offering Product Repair

Brands Offering Spare Parts for Self Repair

Used Gear Marketplaces

The statistics paint a stark picture. Every year, the global apparel and footwear industry produces nearly 100 million tons of waste. This waste, largely comprised of discarded clothes and shoes, overwhelms landfills, with less than 1% of textiles being recycled. Compounding this issue is the fact that synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon can take centuries to decompose in landfills. Moreover, the PFAS used in many apparel and shoe products, known as "forever chemicals," pose a myriad of health risks for both humans and the environment, persisting indefinitely without natural degradation.