This Earth Day’s theme (22 April) is: Invest in our Planet. A fitting call to action for a pivotal moment in our planet’s history. Following on from the highly profiled COP26 conference in 2021 and the increasing extreme weather incidents being experienced across the globe, the science is clear that we must act now. It’s imperative we do so in order to protect the planet for future generations. 

Here at Montane we ourselves have experienced first hand the impacts of a changing climate on the wild places we love to explore. In the past year, Northumberland National Park (based near our Montane HQ) has experienced several extremely damaging storms, including Storm Arwen which felled tens of thousands of trees in Kielder Forest alone. A recent expedition by Montane athlete Jorn Heller to track the effects of climate change on a remote glacier in Patagonia, Chile also makes for a sombre read on the impacts being felt further afield. 

We know these are just a few ways climate change is being felt across the planet, and that the news can often feel overwhelming, difficult to process and a lot like doomsday is inevitably coming. But we also know that reports say if we act now, there is still hope to combat the climate crisis and make our world a greener, better place. So with positive news in mind, we wanted to share some of the good things happening here at Montane right now. 

532,000 plastic bottles have been saved from going to landfill this season

A base layer is an essential item for any keen adventurer, that’s one of the reasons Montane’s Dart base layers are so popular! Whilst these best selling base layers were originally launched years ago using virgin polyester, today the summer Dart range is made with 100% APEX ECO fabric (a recycled polyester fabric created by recycling plastic bottles). The only exception to this are the warmer Thermal Dart items, which use 12% elastane, to allow a little extra stretch for even more movement.

The process of turning a bottle into a base layer is a complex one that you can learn about in our dedicated blog. The amount of bottles recycled per Dart base layer also varies, as this is dependent on the amount of fabric used! For example, a pair of Dart Long Johns recycles 7 bottles, whilst a pair of Dart gloves recycles 1. This means that for this season alone we have recycled  532,000 plastic bottles.

Since 2020, over 1,000 square meters of Sphagnum Moss have been planted

Sphagnum moss is a powerhouse plant with incredible climate combatting abilities! It’s not only able to absorb a lot of water, making it good for preventing flooding and wild fires, it is also able to lock in tons of carbon. These are just a few of the reasons we’re proud to support the BMC’s Climate Project to enable the planting of more sphagnum moss across the UK’s moorlands.

As part of our partnership, for every BMC x clothing we sell, we donate 5% of the sales to the BMC’s Climate Project. It costs £25 to plant 1 square meter of sphagnum moss, so we have enabled the planting of 1,008 square meters since 2020. For those eager to learn more about The Climate Project and how it’s helping to protect the planet for future generations, don’t miss the dedicated podcast with Dr Catherine Flitcroft, the Access and Conservation Officer at the British Mountaineering Council.

We’re helping to combat erosion in the UK’s largest National Park

The Lake District is not only England’s largest National Park, it is one of the best-loved. Huge numbers of people flock here to explore it’s incredible natural treasures each year. But this footfall, alongside severe weather events, is causing increased erosion on the fragile landscapes of the region.

Cue Fix the Fells, a local team of passionate volunteers, who are tackling this problem by repairing and maintaining a huge network of upland paths. As part of Montane’s ongoing commitment to protect the planet for future generations, we are helping to support Fix the Fells, by both donating and match funding over £2500 to help their amazing work. To find out more, we caught up with them on our podcast recently, tune in to hear from them and how you can help to protect these landscapes yourself.

These are just a few of the ways we are helping to do our bit, but we acknowledge there’s a way to go and that Montane are on a journey towards being more sustainable. Rest assured, we are committed to taking action to help invest in our planet’s future. As we learn and evolve we will keep you updated on our progress.