When I set out to create a circular outdoor apparel brand it was because I didn’t see the products I wanted in the marketplace. I found myself looking at the gear I own and asking, where does this come from, what materials are being used, who makes my clothing, and how does it impact our planet?  

There are plenty of fishing brands that give back to nature and donate to important conservation projects. We think that’s amazing and we do the same,  but a small fraction of them are looking at the products they make as a source of the pollution and decline they see in nature.

The outdoor equipment industry is a dirty, polluting business. The fashion industry as a whole produces 10% of global carbon emissions, 20% of global wastewater, and is responsible for vast biodiversity loss. 

A 2016 Ellen MacArthur Foundation study predicted oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if no actions are taken to reduce the flow of plastics into waterways.

Recent research has highlighted that just 23% of the planet’s land surface (excluding Antarctica) and 13% of the ocean can now be classified as wilderness, representing nearly a 10% decline over the last 20 years. And more than 70% of what wilderness remains is contained within just five countries. 

Researchers from the US and Australia recently produced a global map to illustrate this decline.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a strong connection to the outdoors, much of my childhood was spent in the outdoors camping and fishing. I want to create change by reimagining garment design with circular manufacturing principles at the heart of it  and inspire the fishing industry to make the change with me. 

It’s going to take all of us to make a positive impact, and for the larger and more established brands, it’s extremely difficult to change up their supply chains and make the switch to circular. 

Since the fall of 2020 I have worked tirelessly to learn everything I can about the current state of the fashion and outdoor apparel industry and how global manufacturing and supply chains operate, trust me, it isn’t pretty. 

There’s dishonesty, corruption, and deep humanitarian issues at every level. Sourcing sustainable materials, and finding eco conscious and ethical manufacturing partners for our line of products has been unbelievably difficult.  

As consumers, you’re paying a premium for circular, ethical products today because it’s very expensive for brands to do things the right way and not cut corners. You vote with your dollars so as demand grows for truly sustainable and circular products, brands will make the shift and prices will fall. 

It’s very similar to the organic food movement, in the beginning buying organic at your supermarket was very expensive, but today the price is similar and oftentimes cheaper than non organic. 

This happened because you voted with your dollars and over time demand grew, farmers made the shift to organic, and prices dropped. Nature needs us to do it again and you need to demand that brands create sustainable, circular, and ethical clothing. The movement has already started but we have a long way to go. 

The current state of manufacturing and supply chains is a complete disaster, fraught with dishonest bad actors, misleading marketing, greenwashing, and deep humanitarian issues throughout the workforce, it’s easy to understand why brands are slow to change to circular. 

For me, this was a challenge I was willing to face because I understood the importance of this move to circular and what it means for the future of our people and planet.  

What I found is that you have to work tirelessly to sift through the bad to find the good. For example, when we are sourcing fabrics, we will only work with manufacturers that can prove where they sourced the raw materials used in the fabric because oftentimes we’ve found that they are using the cheapest possible raw materials which often come from slave labor farms that claim organic when really they used pesticides in the growing cycle. 

Even when we are given proper paperwork, it can be falsified, who can we trust? A possible solution for this would be to use smart contracts on the blockchain, but that’s a conversation for another time. 

The fashion industry has a very complex chain of supplies with a big carbon footprint that is fraught with unethical practices. 

Our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and caring for the people that make our clothing is seen in the manufactures we work with and in every fiber we choose. 

We’re committed to partnering with manufacturers with the high social and environmental standards, and using natural and recycled fibers across our line. 

It’s estimated that 260 million children are employed in the world, of them, 170 million are engaged in child labor

To legally work in the United States you need to be at least the age of 16, to work in a hazardous job, Like the textile industry, you have to be at least 18. can you imagine letting your 10-year-old work a hazardous job, you would be arrested for child abuse and sent to jail. 

In the wool industry, some farmers use unethical mulesing practices that harm the sheep or use non regenerative agriculture that can result in over grazing land leading to degradation of the soil. 

Our wool comes from farms that practice non mulesing and regenerative agriculture to ensure that the sheep and the land they graze on is cared for properly. 

The hemp and cotton we use comes from farms that adhere to strict organic growing standards, and the lyocell we use is from sustainable wood pulp and processed in a closed loop facility, meaning the chemicals are captured and reused.

Here at  Wild Unlimited, The team and I  have worked extremely hard to bring this brand to market and I want to personally thank them for being a part of this journey with me and the countless hours they've spent grinding through the details and task lists. I’m forever grateful for their hard work and dedication, I think the results speak for themselves. And to you reading this, thank you for making it this far and thank you for considering us as a brand you would wear proudly. All we want to do is make the most sustainable and highest quality gear for your next adventure and if we get the chance to help save the planet while we are at, what could be better?

Scott Lyman

Founder