Outdoor apparel manufacturer and retailer, The North Face, announced that it has recycled 1.5 million polyethylene bags, or 62,000 pounds of plastic, in the past two years with the aid of upcyclying and recycling company, TerracCycle.
The two companies collaborated to create a program called, “The North Face Polybag Brigade,” which was implemented in 25 of the brand’s retail stores to ensure that polybags used to ship clothing were recycled. The bags were re-purposed into an assortment of products like, plastic lumber, bike racks and pavers. The partnership, formed in 2011, exceeded its original goal of recycling one million polybags.
The North Face has also installed a one-megawatt solar panel at its distribution center in Visalia, Calif. to reduce the center’s greenhouse gas emissions. The solar panel now supplies 25 percent of the center’s power, saving 950 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted each year.
The North Face’s newest eco-conscious efforts echos its other commitments to protecting the environment, including the “Clothes the Loop” program. Established in 2013, the program encourages consumers to drop off unwanted clothes of any condition or brand at participating The North Face stores to be reused or recycled.