MAY 2018

REI’s new product standards raise
the sustainability bar
q Jerry Stritzke, CEO of
REI, which has announced
new standards on
sustainability; REI’s new
distribution centre in
Goodyear, Arizona, is
intended to be one of the
world’s most sustainable
facilities
Seattle-based REI Co-op has released a new set
of standards to raise the bar on sustainability
across outdoor and retail industries.
The announcement, made as the co-operative
celebrates its 80th anniversary, says the move
will make it easier for customers to choose more
sustainable products.
“One of the most exciting things we’ve done
in the past year was done completely behind the
scenes,” said chief executive Jerry Stritzke.
“We’re collaborating with partners across
industries to advance sustainable business
practices, and as a result are completely changing
the conversation around sustainability for the US
outdoor industry.”
Informed by its work with partner brands and its
participation in the Outdoor Industry Association
Sustainability Working Group and other key
sustainability forums, the standards outline the
co-op’s expectations for how brands manage key
environmental, social and animal welfare impacts.
This “builds on work that REI has done over many
years to advance sustainability within its own
brands,” says the co-op.
REI regularly features in ‘Best Company to Work
For’ lists and has made its #OptOutside Black
Friday event an annual tradition. In April, the
co-operative joined Canada’s Mountain Equipment
Co-op in stopping selling products from Vista
Outdoor, which owns gun-maker Savage Arms.
The co-op reported a gross profit of $1.1bn for
2017, and has reinvested nearly 70% of profits into
outdoor communities and advocating for public
lands and gender equality. It has 151 stores in
36 states, and serves 16 million members.
The new standards, along with other resources
designed to help brands deepen their own
sustainability efforts, will be made available to any
retailer that wishes to use them. Alongside them,
REI is publishing a list of preferred sustainability
attributes, highlighting brands and products
that are manufactured according to social and
sustainability best practices.
Some of the standards set by the co-op, such
as establishing a manufacturing code of conduct
for supply chains, take effect immediately. Other
requirements, that may take additional time for
brands to meet, have an implementation deadline
of autumn 2020.
“This effort to advance sustainability across
an entire vendor base is among the most
comprehensive in the US retail industry,” said
Adam Siegel, senior vice president of research,
innovation and sustainability for the Retail Industry
Leaders Association.
“By going so broad with requirements for their
suppliers and approaching this with such a spirit
of collaboration, REI has not only moved their own
operations forward, but they’ve raised the bar for
the entire industry.”
According to Matthew Thurston, REI’s director
of sustainability, the organisation works with
more than 1,000 brands, both large and small.
While some may integrate sustainability into their
products and supply chains, others may lack the
resources to fully implement a programme.
“We’re in a unique position to unite our brand
partners around a common goal,” said Mr Thurston,
“by sharing best practices and resources that we’ve
learned from both our own work and that of the
brands we work with.”
32 | MAY 2018