Keep your
footprint
light and your
environmental
impact low
with RW’s
guide to ethical
running gear
WORDS JEN BENSON
AND SIM BENSON
RUNNERS TEND TO APPRECIATE the world we live
in. Our sport takes us to beautiful places and
allows us to immerse ourselves in the natural
world. And we can do so in the knowledge
that, from an environmental point of view,
it can also be a pretty low impact sport: you
can run straight from your door with minimal
equipment. But when you do buy running kit, do
you consider who made it, or the environmental
impact of its manufacture?
Fuelled by an expanding population and an
appetite for low-cost fashion, global clothing
production is increasing by around 5.5 per cent
annually, according to data portal statista.com,
with athletic wear the fastest-growing category.
A recent report in the journal Nature Climate
Change shows that greenhouse gas emissions
from textile production currently stand at
1.2 billion tonnes annually: more than the
total emissions of all international f lights and
maritime shipping combined. And this figure is
expected to rise by more than 60 per cent by- Finisterre Nimbus Jacket
The recycled polyester
insulation retains warmth
better than down when wet,
while the waterproof outer
shell is fluorocarbon-free
recycled polyester.
£165, finisterre.com - Howies Muzzy Cap
A running cap made with
recycled nylon, from the Welsh
ethical-clothing trailblazers.
£25, howies.co.uk - Giesswein Merino
Wool Runners
The responsibly sourced,
European-made, 100 per cent
merino wool upper vastly
reduces the amount of plastic
required to make these
machine-washable shoes.
Not for high mileage or wet
weather, though.
£119, uk.giesswein.com
132MAY 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 061ETHICAL KIT