MONTEC’s Renewed program tackles waste through gear repair
The Renewed program from MONTEC is about more than recycling and reusing old snow gear. It’s also a chance to do a little better for the planet and keep more items out of the landfill.
The seasonal nature of skiwear often creates a brutal cycle of fast fashion. With new styles available every winter, fresh technologies pushing the envelope, and the general rough-and-tumble vibe of snow sports, it can be easy to splurge on a fresh piece of clothing each year. However, this unnecessary action can lead to excess waste, resulting in thousands of perfectly good jackets and pants being sent to landfills. Enter MONTEC’s Renewed program, where renewed clothing gets a second shot at the mountains.
Our Renewed initiative helps breathe new life into MONTEC gear, so it stays out of the landfill and on the mountain. The Renewed program is just one of many things MONTEC does to support a sustainable snow industry. Find out more below.
What is MONTEC Renewed?
We set up the MONTEC Renewed program in 2021 to give snow gear a second chance at life and bring more circularity into how we work. Alongside our partners, we inspect and repair garments, so they’re ready for the mountains once more.
You can be sure that you’re still getting a true piece of MONTEC outerwear. That’s because all our Renewed items come with the same quality and reliability guarantee as every other product we produce and ship.
How repairing snow gear reduces waste
Once an item wears, it’s restored to the MONTEC standard. This is handled by Tersus Solutions in North America and RecoMended for Europe and the rest of the world.
Each snow jacket or pants that we prevent from going to a landfill means less plastic leeching into the ecosystem. Polyesters, polyurethanes, and other polymers are unavoidable when it comes to making snow gear. But the Renewed program cuts down on excess waste and keeps more MONTEC on the hill for longer.
How the Renewed program works
When new stock arrives at our warehouses, anything showing visible damage or defects is removed for inspection. We also inspect returned products, including those with claimed issues. If returned pieces show any signs of minor damage or improper packaging, they are placed to one side for review.
If the damage is repairable, they are restored to the MONTEC standard. This is handled by Tersus Solutions in North America, and RecoMended for Europe and the rest of the world, and once refurbished, the products are offered for sale at a reduced price compared to an equivalent new garment. So, buying Renewed doesn’t just support sustainability. Renewed also allows you to buy a great piece of gear at a lower cost. You might even find discontinued colorways and styles for sale.
Renewed items come in three condition categories:
- Great: Fully wearable, almost like new, no significant visible flaws.
- Good: Wearable with minor flaws, such as small stains or visible repairs, possibly washed once or twice.
- Pre-loved and visible repairs: Well-used, showing more evident wear and tear or visible repairs, still functional and ready for use.
Helping the planet
We can’t wave a magic wand and make the snow industry totally green. However, we’re doing our best to keep as many pieces of MONTEC gear in the mountains for as long as possible. And that’s not all. We’ve also become a bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER, use recycled materials, and more.
We’re committed to producing snowwear as sustainably as possible, with an aim to make our gear highly durable so it lasts multiple seasons. Fewer jackets and pants bought by individual riders means fewer jackets and pants produced. And less is better for the planet!
Wrapping up
Trying to sell fewer snow jackets and pants might not seem like the best business decision. But no snow means no snowwear. And, here at MONTEC, we want to do everything we can to keep the party going. The future is green. And hopefully white, too.
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