RAB goes deep with Material Facts transparency
Rab doesn’t believe in hiding behind a ‘green logo’ or ‘eco-friendly’ label. Frustrated with a lack of clarity around sustainability criteria, the brand, and Lowe Alpine’s parent company Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd., have created a pioneering tool – Material Facts – enabling anyone to check sustainability information details, with a clear focus on accuracy and transparency.
From September 2023, Material Facts will be available for all Rab apparel (and sleeping bags), including the recently launched Cinder range of gravel and adventure clothing, accessible online through scanning a QR code on the product hangtag. This will enable customers to find out more detailed, easy-to-understand information on recycled content, fluorocarbon status and production information.
Tim Fish explains: “Communicating sustainability information is complex and means different things to different people, often leading to misleading claims and greenwashing.”
“We’ve developed our non-branded Material Facts program to provide consumers with enough information to make their own educated purchasing decisions. The program leads the way by taking into account consumers’ and retailers’ demands for accurate and honest sustainability product claims.”
A quick scan of the QR code on a smartphone will take the customer to a clear and accurate Material Facts sustainability data table. This information will enable customers to make educated choices, before buying an item of Rab clothing, or sleeping bag product.
By the end of 2024, all Rab and Lowe Alpine packs, equipment and accessories will also include Material Facts tables, and more criteria will be added in the future.
Equip will continue to drive industry-wide engagement to constantly improve Material Facts, and to jointly create an industry standard, with other brands and industry stakeholders. The business sees this is a clear step forward in terms of aligned accurate, honest and transparent CSR communication.
More information about the current Material Facts program can be found here.
