Outdoor Insight

14 • Outdoor Insight • July 2021 outdoorinsightmag.com T wisted X CEO Prasad Reddy's respect for the earth traces back to his childhood. So, in 2012, when he read "Plastic Ocean" by Charles Moore, about plastic being strewn into the ocean, it lit a fuse. "Six years ago, I found this gentleman who was making blankets out or recycled plastic water bottles and donating them to third world countries. I reached out to him and eventually started to do it for Twisted X," he commented. Each pair of shoes made from its ecoTWX upper material removes about 13 plastic water bottles from landfills and oceans. According to Reddy, ecoTWX is about equal in performance to other textiles tradi- tionally used in footwear. Cotton is added in with the recycled content to provide strength. An independent interlocking, double-stitching system allows for no glue construction in Twisted X's new Zero-X collection. Bamboo laces are created from safely har- vested bamboo. Rice husk outsoles are created with an agricultural rice husk blend. The new BioSole mid- soles are made from biofuels (castor bean oil), sourced from a chemical manufacturer that Reddy has had a longstanding relationship with. While COVID-19 did cause some challenges for Twisted X, as it did for other footwear firms, the brand was never forced to stop production due to lack of materials. l P R O D U C T S + T R E N D S Quiksilver has developed a long- term strategy based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) put forth by the United Nations. The company showcases this effort in its Made Better range of apparel that avoided 254,280,089 tons of CO2 emissions by using recycled polyester in the majority of Quiksilver's products. The debut Men's collection features recycled fleece throughout the offering. Currently 100 percent of Quiksilver's boardshorts and 97 percent of Quiksilver's mountainwear are made with recycled materials. l A f t er shaking up the ski wax industry with its line of eco- friendly products, CO-based brand mountainFLOW is expanding its reach with a new collection of plant-based bike products that are biodegradable, non- toxic, and rival all other petroleum-based competitors on the market, according to the brand. The new line includes four different lubes, a grease and a wash/degreaser — made for riding in three different weather conditions — wet, moderate and dry. The line also includes waterproof bike grease for lubrication and waterproofness, and a bike wash/degreaser that works on all parts of the bike, including the drive train. "We are stoked to launch our new line of plant-based bike products," says moun- tainFLOW founder and CEO Peter Arlein. "Holding true to our 'No Compromises' ethos, we have developed high-performance and eco-friendly products that are as good or better than the petroleum-based com- petition while being completely non-toxic and biodegradable." Each of mountainFLOW's new products are made from plant-based oils, waxes or cleaners, with no petroleum products included. The packaging for the bike lube products is made from 100% Post- Consumer Recycled material, and the bottle used for the bike wash/degreaser is made from recycled paper and plastic, containing 70 percent less plastic than the typical bottle. l MOUNTAINFLOW: PLANT-BASED FOR BIKES TWISTED X: REINVENTION QUIKSILVER: MADE BETTER

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