Gregory Goes There

Gregory’s backpacking line is now PVC free. It’s but one step in the process of making products that are better in terms of their effect on the environment. Though it’s hardly one worth printing up marketing materials to tout.

And yet, it’s one we want the Gregory community to know about. Because ultimately, making products that are better in a variety of arenas is an evolutionary process, not one of overnight change, and that’s something Gregory is very definitely committed to.

Why get rid of PVC?

PVC is nearly indestructible. Which makes it good in terms of building something that lasts. But bad when it ends up in a landfill. Worse, it can’t be recycled and re-used. We switched instead to a TPU that is super-durable, and works for the same uses where we were using PVC, but is instead 100 percent recyclable at the end of a pack’s life span, and will break down more quickly than PVC when disposed of, which PVC basically doesn’t. Not to mention there are many health concerns with PVC, including production of dioxins in the manufacturing process.

These days, green is in. And for good reason. People are realizing more than ever before that their actions day to day - and the things they choose to buy - are big factors in the state of our planet.

So does this effort that make us green? Nope. However, it is a decision made with green as one of the criteria. More and more people are thinking that way, and that’s good. But we know that making stuff always has an impact. And in a business like outdoor products, wear and tear is a big issue, so stuff can’t just be green for the sake of being green, it also has to perform to specs. We’ve always believed that buying a pack that lasts 20 or 25 years causes less impact than buying a pack made from lesser materials that lasts five and has to be replaced three or four times in the same period of time. So whatever technologies we choose have to work for the end use.

But, we will say that eliminating PVC in favor of TPU is a good step in a good direction. People are even experimenting with plant-based (instead of petroleum based) TPU compounds.

We’re also trying to make other choices along those lines. For instance, when Gregory moved to Sacramento last year, it  sourced recycled furniture and carpet, and incorporated some LEED design ideas in renovating a space for our office. The whole space doesn’t earn LEED certification because it’s a renovation, but incorporating some of the elements were still concrete actions the company could take to drive industries in line with our values.

These days, our design and management team is always looking at new materials with an eye toward making these kinds of choices a part of the equation. We’ll keep you posted on what those efforts yield.