Finding a sustainably-made, eco-friendly tent may seem challenging at first, but it’s not impossible. Each year, more and more sustainable tent options are emerging on the market, offering a way to reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase, and the environmental impact of your outdoor adventures.
Gear manufacturers like Diamond Brand are taking big steps forward by investing in sustainably-made products to meet the demands of environmentally conscious consumers. We’ve checked out the competition and we believe we’re leading the charge as “The Most Sustainable Tentmaker On the Planet.” In this post, we’ll explain how and why we stand by this claim. But first we’ll explore, why this is important, and exactly what to look for when shopping for a sustainable tent.
The Ultimate Eco-friendly Tent Checklist
How can brands and businesses demonstrate their social responsibility and decrease their environmental footprint? Here are some of the key qualities to look for when shopping for a tent to ensure an enjoyable, healthy, safe and sustainable outdoor experience.
Sustainable Materials & ECO-FRIENDLy Fabrics
Using eco-forward, professionally-tested, high-quality fabrics is paramount for a sustainably made tent because it reduces harmful emissions and chemical off-gassing, and prevent environmental damage and harm to health longterm.
- Renewable, biodegradable and plant-based/bio-based fabrics and fibers like organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo
- Peak-performance (breathable and waterproof) materials like PET plastic, recycled nylon, and recycled polyester.
- Chemical-free alternatives for waterproofing and sun protection coatings (ie void of harmful toxins like commercial dyes, PVCs, PFAs, and VOCs)
- Eco-friendly components like bamboo poles or recycled plastic buckles
- Developing products with upcycled or recycled or natural materials
INNOVATIVE DESIGN & CREATIVE FEATURES
A products design is crucial to sustainability. It must be able to withstand the toughest conditions of nature over many years of use, while still maintaining comfort, convenience, performance, and protection from the elements. Sustainable design extends a products lifespan and reduces the need for replacements.
- Using high-quality, robust construction techniques so the product is built to last for generations
- Energy-saving (LED or solar-powered) lighting and reflective surfaces to reduce the need for external power sources
- Passive ventilation systems to improve airflow and circulation and regulate temperature
- Minimalist design, avoiding unnecessary components that contribute to waste or weight
- Double-stitched seams provide excellent waterproofing
- Weather resistance: Coatings that protects from rain, dust, and UV to extend durability and longevity
- Other key user-friendly features for enhanced comfort and convenience: ease of setup, spacious interior, storage solutions, advanced connectivity such as USB, Bluetooth, Wifi or voice control.
ETHICAL & RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Ethical practices are essential for social sustainability, ensuring that progress and profit does not come at the expense of marginalized communities or future generations. Sustainable companies must ensure responsible manufacturing and production practices and demonstrate ongoing commitment to mindful consumption, community collaboration, environmental conservation and stewardship — all of which are crucial for creating a sustainable future.
- Provides lifetime warranties, and repair services to fix minor damages.
- Offers responsible recycling or disposal programs to prevent fabric waste and clutter components from ending up in landfills.
- Achieves reputable third-party certifications like B Corp, Green Seal, OEKO-TEX, GRS, OCS, Bluesign and more
- Employs sustainable production methods such as using renewable energy sources (solar or wind power), living roofs, plastic-free packaging, and carbon offset programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease reliance on fossil fuels.
- Prioritizes the fair and humane treatment of workers, safe working conditions, and workers’ rights and well-being for their employee, as well as the equitable distribution of resources.
- Partners with ethical, sustainable and value-aligned suppliers and vendors
- Donates to charitable causes and nonprofits that help improve and protect the environment. Examples include renewal energy, reforestation, pollution mitigation, and eco conservation.
- Embraces the values of sustainability and circularity by encouraging the use of second-hand items or through offering remote work arrangements to reduce emissions
What We’re Doing TO LEAD THE SustAINABLE TENT MOVEMENT
Diamond Brand has ambitious goals, big plans, and a clear path forward in order to ensure we follow through with our commitment to sustainability, while building loyalty and trust amongst our customers and our community. Every day we strive to understand how our actions affect the world around us, taking careful consideration to how our products and practices impact the environment, society, and future generations. When we see problems, we seek innovative solutions. Here’s how we’re “walking the talk”, and what we’re doing to continually progress towards our sustainability goals.
Product Sustainability
- We Make Durable, Long-Lasting Products: By designing and producing products that are made to stand the natural elements AND the test of time, we minimize waste longterm by reducing the need for replacements and disposal. We only want to make products that are elegantly simple and extremely durable, so that you Buy Once, thus saving the resources of making many. We also prioritize innovative upstream design strategies to minimize our environmental impacts.
- We Offer Lifetime Repair Services: We encourage the use of our products for multiple generations by providing repair services, replacement parts, DIY repair guides, and care/maintenance instructions, so we can avoid the environmental and financial costs of replacing worn gear.
- We Use Recycled or Renewable Materials: We reduce virgin material usage and harmful chemical/environmental hazards by offering recycled or PVC-free options in our fabric choices. We also utilize upcycled tent materials in the manufacturing of our specialty bags, further minimizing waste and reducing the demand for newly-made fabric and other resources.
Sustainable Manufacturing
- Our Products are Made-To-Order: All of our products are made to order, which allows us to use only the resources that are absolutely necessary. By limiting backstock, prioritizing custom orders and producing items only when necessary, we minimize overproduction, excess inventory and waste and unnecessary resource consumption. Check out our brand-new Build Your Own tent offering.
- We Prioritize Ethical & Transparent Supply Chains: Whenever possible, we source materials from responsibly managed domestic sources, ensuring that our products have minimal negative impact on the health of the environment or communities of people, near and far. We are committed to working with suppliers who share our vision for building the best tents in the world.
- We Offer Recycling/Upcycling Programs: We take responsibility for our products, and our waste. We’ve implemented circular systems to collect and incorporate both post-industrial and post-consumer waste into new gear. Several initiatives to our sustainability strategy help to keep landfill waste at a minimum, encourage responsible consumption (and disposal), ensures the lifecycle of all our products as low-impact as possible, and overall helps support a more circular economy. First, under our Revival Tent Rescue program, we give new life to old gear by crafting bags and packs from worn-out tents that are sent to us by their former owner. For our business customers, we offer to send half of the products we make with those materials back to them to be used or sold at their discretion. Similarly, through our Moonrise initiative, products that include reused fabric remnants from the factory cutting room that is stitched back together in the Japanese tradition of ‘Boro’, a practice of mending garments out of necessity.
Holistic Sustainability
We approach sustainability thoughtfully and holistically. This means we measure our success with respect to a Triple Bottom Line framework conceived by John Elkington— prioritizing People, Planet, Prosperity to account for the broader wellbeing of our craftspeople, our communities, and the Earth.
PEOPLE (Community & Connection)
- We Prioritize Employee Wellness & Support: We are always prioritizing the well-being of employees to enhance their health, happiness and productivity. 100% of our employees make at least a living wage for Henderson County, North Carolina, and we offer a graduated pay scale and room for growth and advancement. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and life insurance. Additionally, through our Gainsharing Program, we split our gross margin profits we exceed 50/50 with employees each month. We also have a robust employee referral bonus system in which we reward employees for employment referrals. Our Employee Assistance Program helps our family members through times of exceptional need with marriage, the birth of children, substance abuse, personal finances and continuing education. Lastly, we also provide language translation services which enable everyone on the team to have access to the same information and be empowered to make the best decisions for themselves and their families.
- We Create Inclusive Environments: We strive to ensure a working environment where everyone feels welcome and supported. We believe in providing equal opportunities for all employees regardless of their race, gender, ability, or background. We offer flexible and remote positions
- We Are Passionate About Cultural Preservation: As part of the historic North Carolina textile industry which has been in operation since the 1800s, we are committed to preserving our local heritage and craftsmanship. Sewing is a traditional craft of Appalachia, and we are proud to maintain this legacy through skills-development, mentorship programs and on-site job training that honors and deepens our roots while also building a community of makers.
- We Advocate for Diverse Outdoor Experiences: We believe that everyone has a right to access the outdoors in an inclusive and welcoming environment. We are advocates for creating diverse and equitable spaces and opportunities for adventurers of all types.
PROSPERITY (Value & IMpact)
- We Remain Autonomous & Independent: We are proud to run our own factory, allowing us to control all of the factors – from equipment to raw material, associated with production. This allows us to better monitor, measure and analyze our impact first hand.
- We Believe In Transparency and Accountability: We openly share information about our environmental sustainability practices online, we’re happy to disclose information about our supply chain, and we regularly welcome visitors to tour our facility and showing them every aspect of what we do. We also regularly work closely with our customers and stakeholders to address concerns.
- We Embrace Strategic, Value-Aligned Partnerships: By working together, communities can share resources, knowledge, and support, leading to more sustainable lifestyles and resilient systems. Thoughtful collaboration can also drive collective action on environmental issues, amplifying the impact of individual efforts.Over the years we have partnered with several other sustainable businesses and organizations: Biltmore, Duke University School of Environment, Smartwool and more.
- We Support The Local Community: We are building a stronger and more resilient local community and economy by keeping 100% of Diamond Brand Gear products sewn in our Asheville, NC factory and supporting green job creation in our own backyard.
Our Promise for the Future
We are doing a lot already, but we know there is always more to do. Here are some of the goals we are working towards in the years to come:
- More Sustainable Fabrics: In the coming years we look forward to unveiling tents with sustainable fabric choices including organic cotton, organic hemp and PFA-free and PFC-free DWR coatings. We are committed to transitioning away from blended fabrics that cannot be broken down, moving towards more sustainable performance-based fabrics that are best suited toward their end use.
- Zero Waste Manufacturing: We aim to eliminate and recirculate 100% of the fabric waste from our branded products by 2025, and to extend the goal to include contract work by 2028.
- Recyclable or Biodegradable Packaging: We plan to phase out all plastic packaging. Our packaging materials and cards will all be recyclable and we’ll print with water-based inks.
- Sustainable Shipping & Distribution: We plan to take a minimalist approach with our packaging, keeping it simple and straightforward. We can also do our part by using only the necessary materials needed to protect our product while it travels from our factory to its new home. Lastly, we’ll plan to leverage alternative shipping and transportation options to further reduce our carbon footprint.
- Charitable Giving: We will be looking closer at ways to give back by donating to environmental conservation causes, participate in carbon offsetting programs or investing in renewable energy projects to reduce our environmental footprint and mitigate the longterm impact of our operations.
- Increasing Transparency & Accountability: We want to publish annual sustainability and impact reports, with indepth information, visual data, infographics, and more
- Continuous Improvement: We will continue to consider additional eco-friendly manufacturing processes and practices to move towards carbon neutrality, conserving water, electricity and other natural resources and to reduce our environmental footprint. We will also look into third party certifications to hold us accountable.
The Most … Tentmaker on the Planet
Diamond Brand is not only ‘The Most Sustainable Tentmaker on the Planet’, we’re also the most…
- THOUGHTFUL
- INTENTIONAL
- INNOVATIVE
- DEDICATED
- HISTORIC
- AUTHENTIC
The commitments above are just the first steps in our sustainability journey, and although we know there will be challenges ahead, we will continue to learn more, do what we do best and always strive to make it better. We are committed to driving positive change without compromising quality, performance or functionality.
Please reach out to us directly to learn more about our company or offer suggestions to make our sustainable tent business even more sustainable. We want to hear from you!
Supporting Diamond Brand and similar sustainable gearmakers helps combats climate change and encourages positive change in the industry and the larger collective. Choosing an eco-friendly glamping or camping tent is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet, and most importantly- your own conscience. By choosing well, we can all do our part in protecting the environment and enjoying the beauty of nature for years to come.
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