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Although Columbia has taken some steps to reduce its environmental impact, it falls behind industry leaders in measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, utilizing low-impact materials, and offering repair services. The brand no longer offers its resale and recycling program, Rethreads, and ended its partnership with Bluesign in 2023, both of which demonstrate a step back from sustainability commitments. However, although it’s far from the most sustainable outdoor brand, Columbia has made progress toward decreasing packaging waste and increasing transparency through its annual impact report. Here’s where the brand stands now, and where it’s going.
This sustainability analysis evaluates both product- and brand-level initiatives to capture the full scope of Columbia’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Our research draws from Columbia’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 15 Columbia 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.
Columbia receives a “Good,” but not “Excellent,” rating for transparency surrounding its sustainability initiatives. Overall, it provides decent sustainability information on its website and in its annual impact report, although both lack the level of in-depth data offered by brands like Patagonia and Arc’teryx. Because its parent company, Columbia Sportswear Company, publishes an annual impact report that covers all four brands it owns, we found it challenging to locate information specific to Columbia. Columbia Sportswear Company reports on its greenhouse gas data annually, but unfortunately, it does not report on Scope 3 emissions, which constitute the bulk of its total.
Without this information, it is impossible to assess how Columbia’s emissions stack up against other major brands, nor can we determine whether it has made any progress toward reducing emissions. We have gotten limited responses from representatives when we reached out with questions about sustainability, though live chat agents have helped us close the gaps in our understanding of the brand. On the whole, Columbia’s transparency has room for improvement.
Compared to industry leaders, Columbia lags in its use of recycled materials. As standout brands like Patagonia and The North Face steadily make their way toward 100% recycled polyester and nylon, Columbia’s most recent reporting (published in 2023) disclosed using only 6% recycled polyester. Recycled materials come with a significantly lower carbon footprint than their virgin counterparts and have thus become a key component of many brands’ emissions reduction strategies.
In 2024, Columbia reported that around two-thirds of its styles incorporate at least one preferred material, which the brand defines as recycled and organic content, certified leather, down, wool, and Bluesign-approved materials. Unfortunately, Columbia does not break down how many products contain each type of preferred material, nor does it report on its use of these materials by weight, which is a more accurate statistic to approximate their use. Of the Columbia products we’ve researched, over half feature recycled content (though many contain only small amounts of recycled material).
While many outdoor brands are taking steps toward more sustainable chemistry and reduced-impact manufacturing practices, Columbia has backtracked on its commitment to do so. Columbia was a Bluesign System Partner from 2016 until 2023, but has since ended its formal partnership with the organization. Participation in the Bluesign system ensures textiles and products meet strict standards for chemical safety, emissions, 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. Columbia still uses Bluesign-approved materials in some of its products, but we have yet to find any of these low-impact fabrics in the Columbia products that we have reviewed.
Like many other major outdoor brands, Columbia no longer uses PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals”) in its products. PFAS were once the industry standard for durable water-repellent (DWR) treatments and waterproof membranes, but were recently banned in California and New York due to the risks they pose to human health and their environmental persistence. According to the brand’s 2024 restricted substances list, Columbia initiated its PFAS phase-out later than many other brands but made rapid progress in removing the chemicals from its products, starting the process in spring 2024 and completing it by its end-of-year target date. The brand first eliminated PFAS from its OutDry Extreme Eco collection, and all of its products are now PFAS free.
We love that Columbia prioritizes certified, responsibly sourced animal products and natural fibers in its products. Like many outdoor brands, Columbia made the switch to using only Responsible Down Standard-certified down in 2016 and has continued to do so since. This standard ensures humane treatment of ducks and geese while improving supply chain traceability.
Additionally, in 2024, Columbia reported that 100% of the leather it used in its apparel, footwear, and gloves was sourced from Leather Working Group-certified suppliers. The Leather Working Group evaluates the environmental performance of leather manufacturing facilities, using metrics that include water and energy use, waste and chemical management, among others, to assign a Bronze, Silver, or Gold rating. Unlike leading brands, Columbia does not specify which tier of this standard the brand’s suppliers meet. The brand uses only a small amount of wool in its products (typically only socks), but we were unable to verify whether its wool is certified to the Responsible Wool Standard or ZQ Standard.
Many of Columbia’s suppliers are assessed by the International Labour Organization’s Better Work Program, which supports brands in adopting responsible business practices. However, Better Work does not certify factories for responsible practices, so it does not meet our responsible manufacturing criteria. To do so, we require that brands participate in a third-party program that includes annual audits to ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, and a reduced environmental impact. We also require that suppliers be evaluated and scored against specific standards.
Columbia’s partnership does not meet this criterion, but we appreciate that the brand Columbia maintains a factory transparency map showing where its parent company, Columbia Sportswear Company, manufactures its products. The map includes a list of key initiatives associated with various factories, such as Fair Trade Certification, Clean by Design, and the Carbon Leadership Project. However, we were not able to determine which factories use programs that meet our responsible manufacturing standards, such as Fair Trade.
Columbia has made a decent effort to decrease the impact of its packaging, though room for improvement remains. In 2024, the brand shipped its gear in boxes made with a minimum of 95% recycled content, and its plastic poly bags were made with 50% post-consumer recycled content (up from 10% in 2023). Following the lead of another Columbia Sportswear Company brand, Prana, Columbia reduced the size of its poly bags by folding products into smaller shapes. Still, other brands we’ve researched have made more substantial improvements, which include incorporating additional recycled and recyclable shipping materials. Other brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified materials, which ensure that paper products are sourced from sustainably managed forests.
Columbia’s repair offerings are unimpressive when compared to other outdoor brands. Repair services can help you keep your gear in circulation and out of landfills for longer, making these services a key component of a comprehensive circularity program. Columbia occassionally offers repairs under its warranty program, which covers defects in materials and workmanship. Outerwear, sleeping bags, and backpacks are covered under a limited lifetime warranty, while other gear and apparel are covered under a one-year limited warranty. Through its warranty program, Columbia can sometimes repair broken zippers and faulty seams. Still, the brand often replaces broken gear rather than repairing it, and you are out of luck if your gear is damaged outside of the short, one-year warranty period (which many products are subject to). The brand does not cover any issues deemed as "wear and tear."
Until recently, Columbia offered Rethreads, the brand’s hub for resale and recycling services. When the program was active, you could drop off your old gear at any Columbia store in the U.S. for resale on the platform. Unusable items were reused to make cleaning cloths or recycled into insulation, carpet padding, toy stuffing, or fabric. Unfortunately, as of 2025, the Rethreads program is no longer active. We were unable to confirm why Columbia terminated the program, which marked a significant step back from supply chain circularity.
Although Columbia has used Higg Index tools to track its greenhouse gas emissions since 2013, it has not yet reported on its Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions, which likely constitute around 95% of the brand’s total emissions. Columbia reports on its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (emissions from owned assets and purchased electricity), which, in its 2022 impact report, the company estimated account for 5% of its total. Unlike most brands in the industry that are making an effort to reduce their impact, Columbia has not yet set an emissions reduction target. Additionally, its Scope 1 and 2 emissions increased between 2022 and 2024 (which are the only years it reported on in its most recent impact report). In 2024, Columbia emitted 31,790 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from Scope 1 and 2 sources, up from 29,932 tCO2e in 2022. Note that this is likely only a small fraction of Columbia’s total footprint, however.
Columbia Sportswear Company’s annual impact report covers the sustainability data of its four-brand portfolio: Columbia, Prana, Mountain Hardwear, and Sorel. While the report covers most of the basic sustainability data we look for, it leaves much to be desired. First, all of the brands’ data is aggregated, making it difficult to assess how much progress each one has made toward sustainable practices. Unlike more comprehensive reports, it skimps on in-depth data describing Columbia’s use of low-impact materials. (For example, it reports on the brand’s total use of “preferred” materials in its products, but does not break its data down into material types.) The brand’s emissions data excludes Scope 3 emissions, which likely account for the majority of total emissions. All told, the report addresses many of our criteria, but lacks the detail that leading brands offer.
Columbia is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, a collective of outdoor brands working toward cutting the industry’s emissions in half by 2030, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Columbia also partners with the Planet Water Foundation, a nonprofit organization that builds water filtration towers in areas where the brand's products are produced. In 2024, the brand reported that it is around 80% of the way toward achieving its goal of providing clean drinking water to 100,000 people daily by 2028. The company also works with the Collegiate Outdoor Recreation Program, which provides college students with clothing and equipment for getting outside.
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