Scenic view of Torridon

Repair & recycle programmes

Many outdoor brands offer programmes to renew well-loved products and reduce waste

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, each year millions of tonnes of clothes are produced, worn, and thrown away. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truckload of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill.

Many outdoor brands are starting to transition from the conventional linear system, where clothing ends up in landfill, to a circular one. A circular economy is one where materials never become waste. Products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like repair and recycling. This helps tackle climate change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.

We have compiled outdoor brands that we stock, which offer repair or recycling programmes to help reduce waste from the outdoor gear industry. Some brands are just beginning to experiment with closed-loop cycles, while others are further along. This list should be fluid and updated over time as more brands introduce these programmes, making it easier to contribute to a circular economy.

Anon

Anon offer a repair service via their parent company, Burton Snowboards, both within and out of warranty.

Arc’teryx

Arc’teryx offer a repair service via their website for items under their limited warranty. Items out of warranty can be repaired via their authorised repair service, Scottish Mountain Gear.

INOV8

INOV8 have a service called RENOV8 where they repair, refurbish, or responsibly recycle used INOV8 products. You can trade in any unwanted gear at any INOV8 store for it to be recycled.

La Sportiva

Since 2012, La Sportiva has had a network of authorised resolers who can make repairs to your La Sportiva climbing, hiking and mountaineering footwear. Regular resoling of climbing shoes extends their lifespan and restores optimal grip, precision, and support, allowing you to keep performing at your best. There are four in the UK: Tebay, Stoke Newington, Burnley and Llanberis.

Montane

Montane offers an in-house repair service in the UK. Simply purchase the repair you need online and send it off to them.

Montbell

Montbell offer a wide variety of repair services. With high-quality repairs for everything from torn material on clothing and bags to tent pole replacement and footwear resoling. Simply submit a repair request via their website.

Mountain Equipment

Got a tear in your waterproof or a sleeping bag that’s seen one trip too many? The Mountain Equipment Wash & Repair Workshop is here to help. Their technicians can repair, clean, and restore your Mountain Equipment gear, keeping it in use and out of landfill.  

Nemo

Nemo's Endless Promise collection is fully recyclable. Mono-polymer design means creating a product that’s nearly entirely made from a single material family, making it easier to recycle.

We stock these Endless Promise sleeping bags:

  • Disco

  • Forte

Nemo also offers product repairs and spare parts, so if you're missing a tent clip, you can request a new one rather than needing a whole new tent.

Nemo Endless Promise sleeping bags

Nordica

We've teamed up with Nordica on their innovative project: 'Recycle Your Boots'. This initiative will transform your old ski boots, from any brand, into second-generation pieces of material when you buy a new pair of Nordica boots.

NNormal

Your NNormal shoes can be resoled and repaired by their partners at Vibram.

Norrona

Norrona offers repair on all products at their HQ. Simply register your repair online and ship it to them.

Ortovox

Ortovox offer a fairly priced repair service for damaged products even out of the warranty and extended statutory warranty. With their sustainable repair they use leftover materials – fabrics and spare parts that are still available but may differ in colour.

Osprey

Osprey's All Might Guarantee they will repair any damage or defect for any reason, free of charge, whether it was produced in 1974 or yesterday. Simply submit a request online and send it off to their repairs team.

Palm

If your Palm gear needs new seals or socks, has been torn, punctured, heavily worn, or otherwise damaged, then they offer an excellent in-house repair service and can easily fix most garments for a reasonable cost.

Patagonia

For a small repair, visit your local Patagonia store. Or for more complex repairs send your gear to one of their European Repair centres to be fixed by their specialists.

For anything beyond repair, they also take back all Patagonia items for recycling. We take back all Patagonia items for recycling. Visit one of their stores or contact their Customer Service team to recycle your gear.

Picture

Picture provides a lifetime repair warranty for its products.

Rab

The Rab Service Centre is Rab's repair and aftercare service for their outdoor gear. Second Stitch is their lowest-impact repair option. The service offers many of the same expert fixes as their standard repair service but uses end-of-life fabric roll ends, re-used and offcut materials.

If you have down at the end of its life, Rab also offers a recycling service for this. If you’re sure your old down gear is beyond repair, there are three ways for you to send it to them for recycling. You can drop it at one of their in-store down collection bins, bring it directly to their Service Centre or post it to them. 

Reusch

Reusch offer free repair of products that are registered on their website within 5 years of registration.

Salewa

Salewa offer an expert repair service that uses original parts and materials to keep your gear going even longer.

Scarpa

Scarpa offers boot repairs and a resole service. You can choose to have your product resoled directly with them from their footwear experts in Italy, or for a quicker service, you can use their partners in the UK.

Smartwool

Smartwool Second Cut socks bring a second life to old socks. With the same levels of comfort and performance as their classic socks, they are constructed using Second Cut yarn. Made from pre-loved socks via Smartwool’s sock take-back program. 

Smartwool's Second Cut Project is a take-back program that recycles old socks of any brand to be turned into new products like clothing and new socks. You can participate by dropping clean, single socks into collection bins at participating retailers. We normally offer this in May. You can also request a free mail-in bag when you order online.

SunGod

SunGod offers a Lifetime Guarantee. If your sunglasses or goggles break, whether due to a fault or an accident, they will repair them free of charge. Simply submit a request online.

Every pair of SunGod sunglasses is also fully recyclable. Simply separate the lenses from the frames before recycling.

Tecnica

We've teamed up with Tecnica on their innovative project: 'Recycle Your Boots'. This initiative will transform your old ski boots, from any brand, into second-generation pieces of material when you buy a new pair of Technica boots.

The North Face

The North Face offer a recycling program. They will refurbish your old favourites to be resold for a new life on the trails. If your items are well-worn and don’t qualify to be renewed, they'll still take them and recycle or donate them as part of their commitment to circularity.

Tilley

Tilley offers a Guaranteed for Life policy to repair or replace worn-out hats, provided they have the "Guaranteed for Life" label and the damage is not due to misuse or improper care.

Victorinox

Victorinox pocketknives can be recycled if disassembled correctly. They also have a repair centre for any issues with your Victorinox product.

Vango

Vango Spares and Repairs is their Aftercare Service, which helps prolong the life of your tents. Their equipment repair centre has been repairing everything from seam tapes to sticky zips for over 5 decades.

Any Vango products that cannot be repaired are stripped down and recycled with other usable items and donated to local charities such as Shelter Suit.

Their services team specialise in repairing tents, awnings, sleeping bags and rucksacks. 

Our repair & recycling programmes

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2nd life donation

Drop off your items at these stores: 

Or post your items to us. Simply call 0808 164 0600 or email customer.services@ellis-brigham.com, marking all parcels with: 2nd Life Donation.

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