Fix Your Own Gear: Making Outdoor Equipment More Sustainable – Carleton Newsroom

Whether or not you’re a bike owner, hiker, paddler or skier, or some combination thereof, Do You’d like to love being lively outdoors you in all probability Rely upon — and have An in depth relationship with — your gear. 

However when that cherished backpack, panier or jacket breaks, repairs Might be difficult or costly, so The subsequent journey Is usually to chain retailer To buy a alternative — A buy order Which have can have An monumental environmental footprint As a Outcome of of each the manufacturing course of and plastics Inside the product. 

Carleton College commerce scholar Colin Bottomley

Carleton College commerce scholar Colin Bottomley Desires To vary this equation. In January 2022, he launched ReFasten, which imports and distributes sustainably sourced merchandise Similar to waterproof zippers and technical supplies to small retailers and particular person clients for both making or fixing gear. 

Now, with assist from Carleton’s Innovation Hub, the 23-yr-previous entrepreneur is hoping to not solely increase the enterprise However in addition start collaborating with university researchers To assist develop extra environmentally nice supplies for the outdoors sector. 

“It’s undoubtedly a rising market,” says Bottomley, who fell in love with actions Similar to windsurfing and fishing whereas rising up at White Lake, west of Ottawa.

“The pandemic acquired A lot Of people Considering about spending time outdoorss. It additionally acquired people Considering about issues like stitching and making Their very personal gear, and it impacted current chains and acquired extra of us Eager about sustainability. It’s virtually An best storm.”

Source: https://newsroom.carleton.ca/story/outdoor-equipment-sustainable-gear/