Kathmandu is ‘Driving’ Product Sustainability With The Launch Of Its Innovative New Apparel

The tyres that drove you to your last hike will now be keeping you cosy, warm, and dry, thanks to Kathmandu’s latest clothing innovation.

The adventure megabrand has just raised the bar for sustainable outdoor wear, by launching a special edition of its heritage puffer jacket, crafted with fabric derived from recycled plastic waste, including end-of-life tyres.  

The Epiq SE Hooded Down Jacket was developed in partnership with man-made fibre manufacturer, Fulgar, and uses Fulgar’s innovative Q-CYCLE technology, which creates yarn from recycled post-consumer waste. 

Not skimping on performance or style, the jacket features a sleek, triple-black aesthetic with lightweight and water-repellent fabric. (If the sustainable and ethically made tag wasn’t enough!) 

Each year, millions of end-of-life car tyres are illegally dumped, disposed of in landfills or incinerated, releasing significant amounts of toxic gases into the air. On top of the negative environmental impacts, disposing of car tyres also represents the loss of a valuable circular economy resource.  

Kathmandu’s General Manager of Product, Karinda Robinson, said the launch of the Epiq SE marks another milestone in the company’s mission to push the boundaries of product innovation and sustainable practices in the textile industry. 

‘As a Certified B Corporation, Kathmandu has a clear vision to reduce its climate impact. Investing in advanced recycling technologies, like this one, is a perfect example of how we are working to increase circularity and reduce the linear take-make-waste approach to business’, she said.  

Each Jacket Comes With a Unique Digital ID

What makes this jacket even cooler is the unique Digital IDs sewn into each product, which buyers can scan to learn about the design process and the materials used to make their piece.  

‘We’re now delivering our best Epiq version yet, which is incredibly exciting and something we are immensely proud of’, Robinson said.  

At $449 AUD ($479 NZD), it’s slightly more expensive than the current range of Epiq jackets, but can you really put a price on sustainability? (We’ll leave that up to you).  

Images thanks to Kathmandu