Reduce Reuse Recycle Repair

In the past week, we've seen social media light up with all sorts of Earth Day related posts. While the spotlight is brightest, we figured it would be a great time to review some of the ways that DIYers can contribute to bettering our planet.

In this article, we'll talk about the four R’s of sustainability - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair. Let's dive in!

Note - To read another blog about sustainability, check out our 5 Tips To Limit Your DIY Waste... 

It may sound counterintuitive for us to encourage you NOT to buy stuff. But ultimately, we care most about the outdoor places with which we camp, climb, and retreat within. We fully encourage you to purchase everything they need, but as much as you can, purchase exactly that - what you need.

As MYOGers, reducing is sort of in our DNA, but try to keep waste at the forefront of your mind when making. For example, keep a scrap box for anything big enough to be used later and think through your cutting and pattern layout to maximize fabric usage. 

Here’s a cool fact - we carry a lot more than just "first" quality fabric. 

Actually, we offer three tiers of fabrics: firsts, seconds, and remnants. Here's a breakdown on each of those:

Firsts - This is what you get when ordering anything from a standard product page. These are materials that have no cosmetic scuffs or other damages at all. They’re the first pick fabric. Shop all fabrics

Seconds - These are goods we screen out for things like cosmetic flaws, discolorations, streaking, minor weaving flaws, etc. However, all goods are guaranteed 100% functional. Shop seconds fabrics

Remnants - These are random pieces that usually get created when we hit splices in rolls or miscut something. In this case, our problem is your profit. All of these pre-cut pieces are marked down 15-20% from the regular, first-quality price. Shop remnants fabrics

Wanna be the first to know when we launch new remnants? Sign up for our VIP Remnants notification list HERE

Having these different tiers of fabric allows us to reduce waste by avoiding piles of odd fabric. On the flip side, it can also save you some serious money on your DIY project. That's what they call a "win-win." 

One of the ways that we promote recycling here is through our ECO line of fabrics. 

Currently, we carry both 1.1 oz ECO Silpoly and 1.0 oz ECO Ripstop Polyester (calendered/downproof). Both of these fabrics are made from 100% recycled materials and have passed the Global Recycled Standard 4.0. 

One question we get often is if the recycled fabrics are as strong or as functional as the non-ECO equivalents. The answer to this question is a resounding YES. For example, our 1.1 oz ECO Silpoly is almost identical in every way to our standard, non-recycled 1.1 oz Silpoly. On the yarn level, there is +/- 1% difference in strength between recycled and non-recycled variants. For all intensive purposes, we call that "equivalent". 

Read about how you can recycle your scraps HERE  

One word - tape!  

Yeah, tape is fantastic for repairing. No, not scotch tape or duct tape. We’re talking about Tenacious tape or DCF Repair Tape. These products are total magic when it comes to quick fixes. These may seem like quick fixes, but in reality, both DCF Repair tape and Tenacious tape are proven to be long lasting and durable solutions. 

Some products are best suited for a patch and fortunately, scraps are inevitable for DIYers everywhere. We recommend that you keep some of your scraps around so you can patch up an item if it catches a snag or loses an unfortunate battle with a twig. 

Below are some videos we made showing you how to patch both Silpoly and Dyneema Composite Fabric. 

There are a million ways to implement sustainable practices and these are just four that we've had success with. 

Ultimately, the best way to practice sustainability is to find ways that suit you. Find the little things that seem totally doable time and time again. Don't think that you have to save the world in one fell swoop. Start small and start now!

As always, if you have questions or we can help with anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out to our team at the link below. After all, we're here for you. 

Visit our Help Center HERE