Don鈥檛 trash your playground with gear that destroys the environment. Companies are making cutting-edge products that take advantage of natural materials to reduce waste and carbon emissions. Result: High-performance gear you don鈥檛 have to feel guilty about using.
Zeal Ace Sunglasses ($169)
Why They鈥檙e Cool:聽Made from Cotton; Biodegradable
The are the result of an international collaboration: Italian craftsmanship, Japanese lenses, and U.S.-grown cotton. To make the Ace frames, Zeal collects cotton linters鈥攖he tiny fibers that surround cotton seeds鈥攑ulps them, then turns the mush in to an injection-molded resin. Pair the frames with lenses made from a plant-based bonding agent, and you鈥檝e got shades that won鈥檛 clog the landfill if you decide to throw them away. But don鈥檛 worry: they won’t break down in the sun.聽
That鈥檚 not all Zeal is doing for the planet. For every pair of shades it sells at , it plants a tree to counter damage caused by pine beetles.
Patagonia R3 Yulex / Nexkin Front-Zip Full Wetsuit ($549)
Why It鈥檚 Cool:聽Made from a Southwestern Plant
Most wetsuits are made from neoprene, a petroleum by-product. But Patagonia found it could achieve that same warmth, durability, and comfort by making its . Yulex, which is 60 percent guayule, a tough desert shrub native to the American Southwest, keeps Patagonia鈥檚 wetsuits durable, warm, soft, and supple.
Patagonia still uses some neoprene in its wetsuits (about 40 percent), and it adds a windproof Nexkin coating to minimize evaporative cooling and increase durability on the chest where surfers need it most. The Front Zip鈥檚 torso and thighs are micro-grid poly lined for warmth, while extra-stretchy recycled poly in the arms and legs allows for unrestricted movements on a wave. Bonus: Yulex is hypoallergenic.
Looptworks iPhone 4 & 5 Bohe ($55)
Why It鈥檚 Cool:聽Keeps Waste Out of the Landfill
The easiest way to be green: reuse waste without remanufacturing it. That鈥檚 what Looptworks does with its . The company gathers scrap Italian leather from the accessory industry, then up-cycles it into limited edition bags and cases. The Bohe holds three credit cards, your cash, and your smartphone. Thanks to a camera lens portal, it won鈥檛 interfere with your photos.聽
The North Face Denali ($180)
Why It鈥檚 Cool:聽Made from 100 Percent Recycled Waste
fleece is now made from Polartec Power Grid, which uses 100 percent postconsumer discarded water, soda, and milk bottles as its base materials. Buy the black/gray color to be extra eco-friendly: instead of dyeing the finished fabric, Polartec buys black and gray yarn and combines it with matching cutting-room floor scrap, saving water and reducing chemicals. In 2015, Polartec will have turned one billion bottles into fleece.
Manduka LiveON Yoga Mat ($58)
Why It鈥檚 Cool:聽Infinitely Recyclable
Made from 100 percent recyclable, super cushy foam, Maduka鈥檚 closed cell won鈥檛 absorb moisture, microbes, or bacteria. Its extra grippy surface keeps you from slipping, and it stretches and rebounds better than other spongy EVA mats. It鈥檚 infinitely up-cyclable: the foam doesn鈥檛 lose integrity when you recycle it. After you鈥檝e saluted the sun so many times you鈥檝e worn your LiveON out, sent it to Manduka or PLUSfoam and they鈥檒l turn it into a new mat, flip-flops, or a wetsuit.
Green Wax ($7.50)
Why It鈥檚 Cool:聽Biodegradable; Non-Toxic
Most ski wax contains a lot of perfluorocarbons. And when you schuss over the slopes, those chemicals can end up in the watershed. The founders of , which is non-toxic and biodegradable, minimize pollution during production by making the stuff in small batches to ensure quality and consistency, using recycled packaging, and ditching extrusion machines, which force plastic through a shaped metal piece. The wax itself is petroleum- and PFC-free. Best of all, it works.聽
NSP Coco Mat SUP (From $1,325)
Why It鈥檚 Cool:聽Made from Coconuts
Most stand-up paddleboards are made from a fiberglass shell over a buoyant, epoxy-coated material such as carbon fiber or PVC (poly vinyl chloride) foam. decided it could do one better. After biking past piles of discarded coconut husks en route to work at an Asian surfboard factory, one of NSP鈥檚 designers realized he could use the husks instead of foam and carbon.
To make the boards, NSP cleans coconut husks, separates each individual strand of fiber, and layers it with epoxy. Because the husks don鈥檛 absorb the epoxy like carbon fiber or fiberglass, Coco Mat boards are up to 25 percent lighter than their competitors. The husks allegedly eliminate 40 percent of the toxic materials in surfboard construction. Available in touring, surf and race models.