North Face’s New Knit Cap Will Reduce Your Carbon Headprint

Helping the outdoor industry go green, one sheep at a time

November 14, 2017 9:00 am

Only an ideologue argues with numbers. A pragmatist, on the other hand, looks to data and draws conclusions alongside empirical information.

Global CO2 is on the rise, which we know from looking at trends. And people who spend a lot of time outdoors and traveling around see these effects — folks like North Face who have teamed up with a ranch to produce a beanie that captures more carbon dioxide than it gives off thanks to better, more sustainable manufacturing practices.

The process, first reported on in Fast Company, uses wool from Bare Ranch in the California Sierras, where, rather than leaving fields fallow, the farm seed plants that help regenerate the soil while soaking up more carbon than it emits. In a year, the simple tweak will “sequester 4,000 metric tons of CO2, offsetting the emissions from roughly 850 cars,” according to Fast Company.

The Bare Ranch was approached by North Face and Fibershed, a consultancy firm that provides education and best practices to farms looking to enhance their sustainability. More to the point, Fibershed trains farmers on how to make their soil better both for farming and for soaking up CO2 from our atmosphere, a process that naturally keeps our air clean and helps cool our planet.

The beanie has already become a top seller at North Face. And as much as we wanna say it’s because it’s better for the environment, you’ve gotta admit it’s probably because it’s soft, toasty and handsome. Either way, it’s a win-win. 

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