Traditionally, sports and athleisure wear hasn’t enjoyed the best reputation when it comes to being environmentally friendly. Spandex, polyester and nylon are synthetic fabrics that are manufactured from petroleum, causing large amounts of carbon emissions to escape into the atmosphere and threaten our natural habitat. So, enter tentree; an apparel line that prides itself on working with sustainable materials without compromising on comfort. It’s a win-win for you and this awesome planet that we call home, but is this gear up to the job?
With consumers taking more of an interest than ever into where their clothes are sourced and manufactured, and the impact that these materials are having on our Earth, it’s no wonder that Nike, Adidas, and the majority of the world’s major brands have announced strategies for reducing their carbon footprints and slowing down the production of plastics in recent times. Tentree say that planting trees is one of the best ways to improve our future outlook, and they’ve put their money where their mouth is too, by planting almost 80 million of the sticky green things in just 10 years. The retailer says that it plants 10 trees for every item that it sells and is refreshingly transparent about the process ( tentree – Impact Wallet ). The company reports that is has reforested a land area totalling 944,88,952 square feet (and counting) since its mission began.
At the core of tentree’s ethos is a desire to ensure that the production of its clothing is made with the smallest of environmental footprints while using ethical manufacturing processes, all in a safe working environment. Now that’s pretty cool, but how comfy can tentree’s clothing really be? Well, tentree uses REPREVE, a form of recycled polyester derived from plastic bottles. REPRIEVE is a quality solution for creating eco-friendly textiles and is also utilized by top brands such as GUESS, O’Neill, Patagonia and Speedo. It’s ideal for comfort, wicking, and cooling, and those things are exactly what you want from sportswear. Also key to tentree products is TENCEL; a fabric made from the fibers of wood pulp no less. Additionally, hemp and organic cotton is brought into the mix, but what do customers say? “Everything is both sturdily constructed, and exceptionally soft,” says one tentree reviewer on Trustpilot, while another commented: “Ordered 3 tops and they are all beautiful, fit well and are super cozy. And knowing I’m also contributing to such a great cause just makes this purchase perfect!”
So, by taking more responsibility for what you wear during your gym sessions, it really is possible to help protect the planet one rep at a time. Fortunately, tentree has a decent range of shirts, joggers, and hoodies for men and women and their sizes also cater for taller individuals. There’s plenty of choices on colorways too, so being sustainable doesn’t have to be stale in the fashion stakes. Whether we are talking about reaching your fitness goals or saving the earth, we can all agree that big changes start with small steps.
