Responsible Manufacturing in Outdoor Gear: A Deep Dive
The certifications, complexities, and benefits of responsible production in the outdoor industry
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Behind every outdoor product is a complex global supply chain, and how brands manage it has major implications for people and the planet. By evaluating suppliers and adopting responsible manufacturing practices, companies can reduce their environmental impact and support fair working conditions. Third-party programs like Fair Trade, Fair Wear, and the Fair Labor Association provide oversight and push brands toward stronger standards. In this article, we break down the programs included in Better Trail’s responsible manufacturing criteria and highlight brands leading the way.
What is Responsible Manufacturing?
At Better Trail, we define responsible manufacturing as participation in a certification or third-party auditing program that ensures fair labor conditions and promotes environmental responsibility. These programs require brands to assess and improve supply chain practices while maintaining accountability through external oversight. While some programs focus primarily on labor standards rather than environmental impact, we still include them because these issues are interconnected and influence one another throughout the supply chain. Given the complexity of global supply chains and the lack of a universal standard, we evaluate a range of widely used programs across the outdoor industry. Although responsible manufacturing is an important factor, it is more difficult to assess consistently, so we weigh it less heavily than the more clear-cut criteria in our sustainability ratings.
Responsible Manufacturing Programs
Fair Trade Certified
Fair Trade USA is a third-party program that audits farms, factories, and fisheries to verify compliance with standards for working conditions, environmental practices, and product traceability. Products made in Fair Trade USA–accredited factories and sold by licensed brands can be labeled Fair Trade Certified (FTC). The program audits factories for proper waste and wastewater management, hazardous material handling, and compliance with environmental laws, while also requiring brands to meet standards for traceability, transparency, and responsible trade practices. Licensed brands contribute to Fair Trade Premiums—funds managed by workers to support community improvements—and the program also provides education to help workers protect their environments.
However, Fair Trade USA focuses only on Tier 1 factories (final production), leaving earlier stages of the supply chain—like fabric milling, dyeing, and yarn production—outside its scope. Despite this limitation, we include FTC factories in our responsible manufacturing criteria because they enforce strong labor and environmental standards at the final production stage, with regular audits ensuring accountability. Many leading outdoor brands, including Arc’teryx, REI, and Patagonia, use Fair Trade Certified factories, with Patagonia producing the vast majority of its products in these facilities. For more, read our article on Fair Trade Certified.
Fair Wear
Fair Wear is a nonprofit organization that partners with apparel brands to improve labor conditions through audits and ongoing guidance. It evaluates brands against eight core labor standards, including fair wages, safe working conditions, reasonable hours, and the right to collective bargaining. While membership is not a certification, Fair Wear conducts factory audits every two to three years and publishes annual Brand Performance Checks, rating companies as Leader, Good, Needs Improvement, or Suspended. These evaluations assess both factory conditions and brand-level practices, such as purchasing decisions and supplier relationships, with most oversight focused on Tier 1 factories. Fair Wear also operates a worker complaint system, adding an extra layer of accountability beyond periodic audits.
We include Fair Wear in our responsible manufacturing criteria because its audit and evaluation system provides strong oversight of labor practices, even without formal certification. To meet our standard, brands must achieve Leader status, indicating advanced performance in areas like living wages and worker advocacy—ratings of Good or below do not qualify. Although Fair Wear does not directly assess environmental impact, it is widely used by European outdoor brands that already operate under stricter regulations, such as the E.U.’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation—standards that U.S. companies are not required to follow. REACH makes companies legally responsible for managing chemicals in their products to protect human health and the environment. Notable outdoor brands participating in Fair Wear include Dynafit, Edelrid, Haglofs, Jack Wolfskin, Lowe Alpine, Mammut, Mountain Equipment, Ortovox, and Rab; among them, Rab, Lowe Alpine, Jack Wolfskin, and Ortovox have earned Leader status.
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) is a global independent certification program that ensures manufacturing facilities adhere to safe, lawful, humane, and ethical standards. Every WRAP-certified factory undergoes regular social compliance audits—typically every one to two years—to assess compliance with labor laws, environmental regulations, and other workplace standards. Audits also ensure compliance with WRAP’s social principles, which cover issues such as fair wages, prohibition of child labor, worker abuse and discrimination, working hours, freedom of association, and worker safety. Facilities can receive one of three certification levels: Platinum, Gold, or Silver. WRAP determines certification levels based on audit results examining each facility’s social compliance program and commitment to WRAP’s principles. As of 2026, more than 3.5 million workers are employed in over 4,000 WRAP-certified facilities across roughly 50 countries.
Brands that use WRAP-certified factories for the majority of their operations meet Better Trail’s responsible manufacturing criteria. The WRAP program assesses facilities for compliance with environmental laws and social responsibility standards, with factories participating in regular audits to maintain certification. Because of this oversight structure, it meets our requirements for this sustainability criterion. Outdoor industry brands using WRAP-certified factories include Trew Gear, Ridge Merino, and Gregory.
ISO 14001: An International Standard for Environmental Management
ISO 14001 is an international standard for environmental management systems developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an independent non-governmental organization. Environmental Management Systems provide a framework for organizations to design and implement systems for resource usage, waste management, and environmental performance monitoring. Implementing an ISO 14001-compliant system helps companies track environmental performance, comply with legal requirements, and meet their sustainability goals. To meet Better Trail’s responsible manufacturing criteria, companies using this framework must opt to have their factories certified to the ISO 14001 standard by an independent third-party certification body. Certified facilities undergo regular audits to verify that their environmental management systems meet ISO requirements.
The ISO 14001 standard meets Better Trail’s responsible manufacturing criteria because it requires brands to implement structured environmental management systems that are independently audited for compliance. However, brands must actively pursue certification under the ISO 14001 standard. Companies that follow the standards without obtaining certification do not meet our criteria, as this lacks the necessary accountability. The most prevalent outdoor industry brand with ISO 14001-certified facilities is Atomic. Atomic’s largest manufacturing facility in Altenmarkt, Austria is certified to the ISO 14001 standard.
Fair Labor Association
The Fair Labor Association (FLA) promotes and protects workers’ rights by establishing standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and responsible sourcing, aligned with the International Labor Organization. Its Workplace Code of Conduct covers key protections like non-discrimination, safe workplaces, fair pay, reasonable hours, and the elimination of child and forced labor, while also emphasizing responsible purchasing practices, training, compliance monitoring, and grievance systems. Brands can participate as affiliated or accredited members, but accreditation requires a rigorous, multi-year evaluation of a brand’s entire supply chain, with comprehensive audits and formal reviews every three years. While the FLA assesses full supply chain management, most external monitoring focuses on Tier 1 factories, and its standards primarily address labor conditions, with limited environmental requirements.
To meet Better Trail’s responsible manufacturing criteria, a brand must achieve Fair Labor Accreditation, which ensures ongoing oversight and accountability. Affiliated members do not qualify, as they are not subject to regular audits. As of 2026, more than 30 companies have earned accreditation, including outdoor brands like Patagonia, Burton, and Adidas.
Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative
Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) was founded in 2003 to support companies worldwide in enhancing their supply chains' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. Amfori’s criteria include safe working conditions, fair wages, and worker protections, along with some environmental requirements. Members of Amfori BSCI receive a code of conduct focused on human rights, due diligence, and environmental sustainability, along with access to social audits that help assess and improve areas such as worker safety and environmental impact. It also provides guidance on how to improve, rating factories on an A-F scale.
We include Amfori BSCI in our criteria because it allows brands to ensure their factories are regularly audited for compliance with the BSCI Code of Conduct. Since BSCI rates factories on an A–F scale, we can assess whether a brand's facilities meet these standards. To qualify under our responsible manufacturing criteria, brands must use factories rated B or higher. While our research identified several outdoor industry brands that use Amfori BSCI, only a few meet this threshold at the time of writing.
B Corporation
Certified B Corporations meet strict social, environmental, and governance standards set by the nonprofit organization B Lab. Certification is based on the B Impact Assessment, which evaluates a company’s performance across areas such as governance, worker treatment, human rights, climate action, community impact, and environmental stewardship. To qualify, companies undergo a verification process and must achieve a minimum score of 80 points. The assessment also incorporates how companies engage employees, incorporate worker feedback, and create safe and supportive working environments.
B Lab evaluates how brands manage their supply chains, including practices related to labor conditions, supplier oversight, and sourcing. B Lab certifies companies by verifying their documentation, reviewing potential public complaints, conducting site visits, and requiring brands to apply for recertification every three years. It’s important to note that Certified B Corporations are evaluated on a 200-point scale, and while all certified companies meet the 80-point threshold, their overall performance in specific areas can vary.
Local Manufacturing
Better Trail includes local manufacturing—primarily in Europe or the United States—as part of our responsible manufacturing criteria. Products made in the U.S. or Europe are subject to strict labor and environmental regulations and typically have a lower carbon footprint due to reduced transportation across global supply chains.
Manufacturers in the United States must comply with environmental regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Additionally, textile manufacturers in the United States must adhere to the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, a part of the Clean Air Act that specifically targets the most harmful pollutants to the environment and human health. They must also follow the Leather Tanning and Finishing Effluent Guidelines, a part of the Clean Water Act that works to reduce pollution associated with leather production, including restrictions on harmful chemicals such as chromium, sulfides, and other tanning agents.
Some products carry a Made in USA label, meaning their components are “all or virtually all” made in the United States. Everything from materials to processing and labor must be of U.S. origin. Some brands also describe these products as Berry Compliant, meaning they meet the standards of the Berry Amendment (passed in 1941 to support the U.S. during World War II), which mandates that every component—from yarn and thread to fabric and hardware—be manufactured in the United States. While some brands meet this part of Better Trail’s criteria through Made in USA products, others manufacture products domestically using materials sourced globally.
In Europe, textile manufacturing is governed by similarly strict regulations. For example, in 2022, the European Union introduced its Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry by minimizing textile waste, increasing the use of recycled materials, and improving environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Furthermore, the E.U. also maintains a list of harmonized standards that allow manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with its legislation. One example is the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation—the E.U. standard for chemical management and compliance.
Which Brands Manufacture Locally?
Several brands manufacture products in the United States, including Feathered Friends, Western Mountaineering, Danner, and Tarptent. Danner offers a range of footwear certified as Made in USA products. Feathered Friends sources its materials globally but completes all sewing and construction in Seattle, WA. Western Mountaineering also manufactures all of its products in its San Jose, CA facility. California has some of the strictest environmental regulations in the U.S.; for example, air pollution is monitored by local control districts that issue permits limiting the amount of pollution a facility can generate. Similarly, Tarptent manufactures several of its products in the U.S., including some accessories made with domestically sourced materials.
Brands Leading the Way in Responsible Manufacturing
Patagonia
Patagonia is a leading brand in responsible manufacturing—from the use of Fair Trade Certified factories to being a founding member of the Fair Labor Association, the company is using many programs to prioritize workers' rights and lower its environmental impact. Patagonia has worked with Fair Trade USA since 2014 and now offers more Fair Trade Certified products than any other apparel brand. Currently, over 95% of Patagonia products are made in Fair Trade Certified factories that employ 85,000 workers. Patagonia is also a founding member of the Fair Labor Association and is Fair Labor Accredited.
Rab
Rab is another leading brand in the responsible manufacturing category, reflecting initiatives commonly adopted by European outdoor companies. At Rab, 55% of its products are made in Fair Wear-audited factories or Amfori BSCI-rated factories that score a B or higher. The company has also achieved Fair Wear “Leader” status since 2022.
REI Co-op
REI Co-op is part of the Fair Trade USA program, which means many of its products are made in Fair Trade Certified factories. In 2024, REI contributed $718,000 in Fair Trade premiums to employees. The company has contributed over $2.3 million in Fair Trade premiums since 2016. REI also audits its factories separately from Fair Trade using the Higg Index Facility Environmental Module and other industry-leading audit programs. These programs are not certification programs, but they help inform REI about changes it can make to improve its supply chain.
Small Brands Manufacturing Responsibly
You may be wondering whether responsible manufacturing practices are more common among large brands, since third-party certifications and audit programs can be costly and require significant resources to manage. In reality, both large and small brands face challenges—larger companies often deal with more complex supply chains, while smaller brands have fewer resources to dedicate to oversight. Ultimately, it comes down to how a brand chooses to run its business and what it prioritizes. Many smaller companies are still actively engaging in responsible manufacturing. Himali, based in Colorado, is a small brand that produces all of its gear in Fair Trade Certified Factories (except for “accessories” such as hats and buffs). Similarly, Ridge Merino, a small California-based brand, uses WRAP-certified and Fair Trade Certified factories to manufacture its products, while Trew Gear produces all of its gear in a WRAP-certified factory.
What Programs Don’t Meet the Better Trail Sustainability Criteria?
Not all programs we’ve encountered in our research meet our criteria for responsible manufacturing. Two of those are the Social and Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) and Better Work. Neither SLCP nor Better Work is a certification program. Instead, SLCP provides standardized assessments of factory social and labor conditions, which can be verified by third parties. These assessments are conducted on a regular basis, but SLCP does not require a fixed audit schedule or certify ongoing compliance. While the program offers valuable, comparable data on working conditions, it does not ensure that companies consistently meet labor standards over time. It is designed to reduce audit duplication and help brands identify areas for improvement, but it is ultimately up to brands and suppliers to act on the findings.
Better Work offers services such as purchasing practices assessments, training, and access to the Better Work Academy. While these resources provide valuable guidance, the program does not offer certification for brands or factories. Better Work does conduct regular factory assessments to evaluate compliance with national labor laws and international labor standards, producing detailed reports and improvement plans. However, as with SLCP, it is ultimately up to companies to implement changes based on these findings. In contrast, programs with ongoing audits or certification requirements create stronger accountability, as brands must make improvements or risk losing their certification status—something that is not required under programs like SLCP or Better Work.
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