How Sustainable is Arc’teryx?
Average Sustainability Score
Excellent
Updated:
Oct 16, 2025Arc’teryx has long been recognized for its top-of-the-line outdoor apparel and equipment. In recent years, however, the British Columbia-based company has built a new reputation as a sustainability leader, emphasizing the idea that the greenest gear is the gear that lasts the longest. With a circular design mission centered on product longevity, repairability, and functionality, Arc’teryx looks at the full life cycle of its products, finding ways to keep gear in use and out of landfills through its ReBird repair, resale, and recycling program. Let’s take a deep dive into the brand’s efforts to answer the question: How sustainable is Arc’teryx, really?
This sustainability analysis evaluates both product- and brand-level initiatives to capture the full scope of Arc'teryx’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Our research draws from Arc'teryx’s published sustainability data, other reputable sources, third-party certifications (a cornerstone of our process), and correspondence with brand representatives. We have independently researched over 20 Arc'teryx products to date and counting, giving us a broad understanding of the brand’s use of low-impact materials, chemistry, and manufacturing practices.
You can also explore our analyses of other outdoor brands, or use our advanced search to find products that align with your sustainability values.
Arc’teryx earns an “Excellent” rating for transparency around its sustainability initiatives. Its annual impact reports consistently include clear and concrete data on efforts ranging from greenhouse gas tracking to low-impact material use and circularity programs. The company also publishes a detailed sustainability webpage, and its product pages feature easy-to-use drop-downs describing product-specific features (though labeling of recycled and Bluesign-approved materials is not always perfect). Importantly, Arc’teryx has also been highly responsive to Better Trail’s inquiries when questions arise. Overall, its transparency stands at the leading edge compared to most brands.
Virgin synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon come with a heavy emissions footprint, and in 2024, just under a fifth of Arc’teryx’s total emissions came from fabrics and trims. Replacing virgin synthetics with lower-carbon recycled versions is therefore a key component of the brand’s emissions reduction strategy. Arc’teryx has set the goal of replacing 100% of its virgin nylon and polyester with recycled fabrics by 2030. (For reference, Patagonia expects to hit the same milestone by 2025.)
So, how much progress has Arc’teryx made? In 2024, about one-third of its nylon and roughly half of its polyester came from recycled sources, up from 14% and 41% in 2023, respectively. While this represents solid progress, Arc’teryx fell short of its interim goal of 50% recycled nylon and 75% recycled polyester by 2025, citing long lead times and changes in U.S. customs regulations. Despite those challenges, the company reports that it remains on track to meet its 2030 target.
Arc’teryx became a Bluesign System Partner in 2013, marking one of its earliest steps toward reducing environmental impact. Bluesign certification ensures textiles and products meet strict standards for chemical safety and environmental responsibility. While any brand can source Bluesign-approved fabrics, becoming a System Partner signals a stronger commitment to responsible chemistry, with onsite assessments every two to three years. Through this partnership, Arc’teryx set goals to use 50% less water, 30% less energy, and 15% fewer chemicals compared to pre-partnership levels, and it adopted Bluesign’s Restricted Substances List across its supply chain. However, Arc’teryx does not publish an overall percentage of Bluesign-approved material use, though we’ve seen the materials in most Arc’teryx products we’ve researched.
Arc’teryx was slower to transition away from PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) than many of its peers, but according to its latest reporting, most of its products are now PFAS free. PFAS—also called “forever chemicals”—were once common in durable water-repellent (DWR) treatments and waterproof membranes, but are now being phased out due to bans in states like California and New York that became effective in 2025. While those chemicals offer strong water repellency, numerous studies link them to health risks ranging from developmental delays to cancer. Arc’teryx introduced its first PFAS-free Gore-Tex ePE membrane in 2023 and has since made rapid progress toward full PFAS elimination, which it expects to complete by the end of 2025.
Arc’teryx has made measurable progress in sourcing low-impact animal products and natural fibers, though gaps remain. We love that all of its down is certified to the Responsible Down Standard, ensuring traceability and high animal welfare standards. Its wool is certified to the ZQ Merino Standard or the National Declaration of Wool Integrity Program, and it is working toward sourcing Responsible Wool Standard wool (though updates on its progress toward the latter are pending). Additionally, Arc’teryx prioritizes leather from Leather Working Group-certified suppliers, ensuring that all leather is a byproduct of meat production and complies with the group’s restricted substances list. However, it does not disclose whether all its leather meets this standard, putting it behind some peers.
In 2023, Arc’teryx reported using nearly 100% preferred (or reduced-impact) cotton, but in 2024, less than half its cotton met this bar due to U.S. customs regulation changes. The brand has said it aims to rebound in 2025.
Responding to the global garment workers’ crisis, Arc’teryx became a Fair Trade Certified (FTC) partner brand in 2020. Fair Trade certification ensures fair wages, worker safety, and reduced environmental impact through strong chemical and waste standards. Brands also pay a premium on certified products, which funds worker-led community projects ranging from healthcare to clean water. By 2021, Arc’teryx had certified three factories—producing 20% of its line—and has since expanded to 22 factories, aiming for 80% of products made in FTC facilities by 2025. In 2024, it also certified its first footwear factory, making it one of the few outdoor brands with Fair Trade Certified shoes. While Arc’teryx started later than Patagonia, it has moved quickly to expand Fair Trade across its supply chain.
Compared to other leading outdoor brands like REI, The North Face, and Patagonia, Arc’teryx misses the mark when it comes to low-impact packaging. The brand reports that packaging waste accounted for around 1% of its total emissions in 2024—a statistic that pales in comparison to its emissions from transportation, materials, and suppliers. Still, packaging is a significant source of waste, energy, and deforestation, making it a key focus area for many brands. Unfortunately, Arc’teryx does not publish statistics describing its packaging materials, leaving many questions about its practices unaddressed. The brand plans to build out a comprehensive waste strategy in 2025, which we look forward to reviewing.
Repairing gear keeps it out of the landfill, and Arc’teryx has invested heavily in this area since launching its ReBird program in 2021. Offering a holistic approach to keep gear in circulation, the program has grown significantly, providing a wealth of resources to keep your jacket or pants ready for climbing, hiking, or skiing. In 2024, the brand repaired 28,000 garments (up from 25,000 in 2023), including over 25% more complex repairs than it fulfilled in 2023. Most simple repairs (think patching or zipper replacement) are offered for free in-store, while more complex repairs cost a small fee and often need to be mailed in to the brand. Additionally, Arc’teryx developed its own detergents and DWR treatments to help maintain product breathability and water repellency. While you can use these product care solutions (dubbed Nu) to quickly refresh your gear at home, you can also take your gear to Arc’teryx ReBird service centers to have it cleaned by the pros.
If your Arc’teryx gear is sitting in your closet going unused, you can likely trade it to be refurbished and returned to the wild. You’ll get rewarded with an Arc’teryx gift card (worth up to 30% of the original retail price of the product), and the pre-loved gear is sold online at the brand’s used gear shop, ReBird Resale. Eligible items must be in good condition (meaning no large stains, broken zippers, or rips), and currently, the program only takes packs and a selection of apparel. Still, it’s a positive move toward elongating the life of Arc’teryx products and encouraging consumers to shop secondhand. Arc’teryx also partners with Debrand to find responsible disposal methods for unusable products, like recycling and waste-to-energy incineration. In 2024, these efforts diverted more than 22 tons of gear from landfills.
Arc’teryx began tracking its emissions using Cascale’s Higg Index tools in 2014. Since then, the brand has published thorough updates on its progress toward net-zero emissions by 2050 (defined as a 90% reduction in emissions compared to its 2022 baseline). In the short term, Arc’teryx plans to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions (from owned assets and purchased electricity) by 90% and its Scope 3 emissions (from its supply chain) by 42% by 2030. All of its targets are verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative, which ensures that reduction goals are aligned with Paris Agreement warming thresholds (with 2050 being the organization's deadline for achieving net-zero emissions). Importantly, Arc’teryx uses absolute reduction targets, decoupling emissions from business growth.
Arc’teryx has big goals—but let’s take a look at its progress. Scope 3 emissions typically constitute the bulk of a brand’s total footprint, and Arc’teryx is no exception, with over 95% of emissions falling into this category. These emissions come from raw materials, manufacturing products, and transporting them to their final destination. Scope 1 and 2 emissions, on the other hand, account for under 5% of its total emissions. Thus far, the brand has reported a 7% increase in absolute (or total) emissions between 2023 and 2024, but a 29% reduction in emissions intensity (emissions per unit of revenue) in the past two years. This means that while the brand’s total emissions have increased, the emissions associated with each product have decreased. Arc’teryx expects its total emissions to peak in 2025 and then begin to decline in 2026.
Arc’teryx publishes one of the most comprehensive impact reports in the industry, first released in 2019 and then annually each year after. The report covers nearly all of our sustainability criteria, with information about responsible material sourcing, emissions reduction, and circularity initiatives. The brand’s goals and targets are on par with other leaders in the outdoor industry, though they are slightly less ambitious than Patagonia’s (especially in terms of materials and emissions reduction). These goals serve as checkpoints in the brand’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Notably, Arc’teryx’s parent company, Amer Sports, also publishes an impact report. In most cases, when a parent company publishes one of these reports, the subsidiary company does not. Often, subsidiaries rely on parent reports that aggregate data, making brand-level insights harder to find (as with The North Face and VF Corporation). Arc’teryx stands out for producing its own brand-specific report and taking ownership of its sustainability progress.
Arc’teryx is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, an organization that helps brands measure and reduce their carbon footprints through industry collaboration. The Climate Action Corps aims to help the outdoor industry achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Additionally, Arc’teryx donates products to youth camps and environmental programs. It also offers a grant for organizations to receive funding for programs that positively impact their communities and encourage outdoor participation. In 2024, Arc’teryx supported just under 90 organizations through this program, with around 80% of funding going to organizations that have leaders that are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.
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These products are solid, middle-of-the-pack options for sustainability. In general, they meet at least half of our sustainability criteria for their category.
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Better Trail Certified Process
The world of sustainability can be murky, but Better Trail is here to help bring clarity. We’ve exhaustively researched thousands of outdoor gear products, communicated with brands, and created a detailed and rigorous ratings system to bring it all together for you. At the pinnacle is Better Trail Certified.
Better Trail Certified products score 4 out of 5 or higher in our sustainability ratings and generally meet around 80% or more of our criteria. While it’s true that no product is 100% sustainable—all take resources to create and arrive at your doorstep—these products are industry leaders and among the most sustainable on the market.
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