Making the supply chain more sustainable can’t be accomplished by any one brand — which is why OIA has brought four of the outdoor industry’s leading drinkware companies together.
More than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide are produced in the U.S., just from making single-use plastic water bottles. Then, 86% of those end up as garbage or litter, adding 38 billion plastic water bottles to landfills (or just to the land). It’s one of the worst pollution feedback systems on the planet.
Using a refillable water bottle is the easiest way to remove yourself from that system. There’s still a carbon cost associated with the creation of refillable bottles, but using them just two to three times pays that cost off, according to research from the University of Madison-Wisconsin.
But what if you could get drinkware that had no carbon footprint to begin with? What if you could get water bottles, mugs, and cups that were carbon neutral right off the shelf?
That’s the idea behind the new Drinkware CoLab partnership. Four of the biggest brands in drinkware are coming together. They’re participating in the Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) Climate Action Corp. to help reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing reusable bottles.
Making the Drinkware CoLab
Klean Kanteen, Miir, Stanley, and YETI have all signed on to be a part of the Drinkware CoLab. The goal of the collaboration is both simple and intimidating. It aims to push industry suppliers away from nonrenewable sources of electricity — and to create science-driven emissions targets for the factories and facilities that produce the brands’ products.
OIA is handling the project management and funding of the Drinkware CoLab. It’s also tapping a sustainability consulting agency. That agency will oversee areas of improvement, emission goals, and progress by the manufacturers. It will also be providing benchmarks and suggestions for increasing energy efficiency, sourcing renewable energy, and more.
OIA doesn’t have a lot of the specifics surrounding what kinds of renewable energy will be pursued, how long it will take manufacturers to shift over, or what this will cost. But these brands are committing — which is worth something, at least.
“This project is enabling our drinkware brands to work together,” Sarah Rykal, senior manager of the OIA Climate Action Corps said in a press release. “To reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their supply chains with increased efficiency.”
It’s a display of solidarity. When four of the largest competing drinkware brands come together for a common cause and are putting in the effort for change, that’s a big deal.
Consequently, OIA isn’t stopping here. The Drinkware CoLab is a big step for the outdoor industry, and OIA is already planning many steps yet to come.
“We see these types of collaborations as a key puzzle piece in reaching the Corps’ climate goals, as well as each brand’s individual goals,” Rykal said. “We ultimately plan to use this project as a model for future CoLabs to follow.”
