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Kitsbow announces rollout of “TrailCycled” sustainability initiatives

  • Ron 

Kitsbow​ is proud to announce its new, yet ever-evolving sustainability initiatives for 2021. Coining the term “​TrailCycled​,” the premium cycling apparel (and now ​PPE​) brand has expanded upon and heavily invested in sustainability measures like compostable packaging and lifetime repairs and heading into 2021, the Old Fort, N.C.-based company will continue to evaluate how apparel is sustainably sourced and constructed, where it’s made and how it gets to the consumer.

“We have envisioned sustainable fashion since the beginning. In fact, it’s why we decided to make apparel,” said David Billstrom, Kitsbow CEO. “TrailCycled is our term to describe the entire cycle of designing apparel for the trail —creating it, choosing where to make it, shipping it to you, and even repairing it so that lasts forever and stays out of the landfill. For us, sustainability is a process of becoming, not arriving, and we’re always learning.”

Compostable Packaging

Making a sizable leap towards sustainable packaging, everything from Kitsbow’s boxes all the way to its product hang tags, twine and shipping labels are now compostable. The first component in this system is the boxes used to ship product, which now use less ink, close with paper tape instead of plastic and ship with compostable labels. The box is made of at least 40% recycled content from Westrock​, a box maker located an hour from Kitsbow.

Additionally, shipping bags are no longer plastic and are made from plants with a biodegradable binder. Created in partnership with ​The Better Packaging Co​, these new shipping bags are reusable and have a dual seal for that purpose. Additionally, when their lifecycle is through, they can be easily composted at home.

Garments for Life

Textile waste has been an ongoing problem for more than a decade, and ​according to the Sourcing Journal​, is still on the rise amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Kitsbow is working to limit its waste by not only engineering garments that will last, but also by giving them second and third lives through quality repair.

Kitsbow is now offering ​Lifecycle Guarantee​ to all of its customers, meaning free garment repairs for life (see before and after picture of an Icon Shirt).

Sewn in the U.S.A

By utilizing a just-in-time manufacturing model, Kitsbow has drastically reduced its waste by only making what is needed. With production lines in-house, Kitsbow is able to deliver the best possible product with the lowest possible waste, while also being nimble with new color and style offerings.

To learn more about Kitsbow and its TrailCycled program and initiatives, visit ​www.kitsbow.com.

Tags: David Billstrom, Kitsbow, Manufacturing, Packaging, Sustainability
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