Our ethos is rooted in the idea that the style in which goals are accomplished is as important as achieving them at all, and this applies as much to our business as it does to our outdoor pursuits. That’s why we have paired an innovative approach to building equipment with a unique approach to running a company—one that champions the conservation, preservation and access to mountain, crag and canyon environments while minimizing our environmental footprint.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
From our headquarters in Utah to our vendor partners, we are committed to complying with the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility at all our operations.
- Our 12,000sq foot headquarters is extremely energy efficient- we have a 2,200 Watt solar photovoltaic system installed that generates approximately 3,000 kWh of electricity each year and would qualify for LEED certification.
- Black Diamond is a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association’s Climate Action Corps, advocating for sustainable recreation practices, trade policy, ethical business innovation and increasing outdoor participation.
- We are implementing the Higg Index to quantify our carbon footprint from every aspect of business to see where improvements can be made.
- Scrap metal and excess cardboard from the Salt Lake City, Utah and Zhuhai, China manufacturing facilities is recycled.
- Our Distribution Center recycles polybags, cardboard/paper products and aluminum. • We purchase cardboard containing an average of 35% post-consumer recycled material
- Black Diamond is a Blue Sky Program "Champion Level" participant, purchasing 180,000 kWh of Blue Sky wind power offsets each year.
- We have recycled 11,157 LBS of glass
- Our aggressive recycling initiatives at headquarters has conserved 1.67 metric ton of CO2
- Social responsibility has always been a fundamental value and focus at Black Diamond. As a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association's Fair Labor Working Group in 2005, we helped to tackle the need for greater education of best practices in social compliance in the Outdoor Industry, drafting the OIA's first Fair Labor Toolkit used by companies throughout the outdoor industry to establish social compliance programs
- We take care choosing our vendors and partners, and maintain a strict Vendor Code of Conduct, collaborating with our partners to make continuous improvements, apply best practices and conduct annual audits to ensure the safety and fair treatment of all those who work for or manufacture Black Diamond product.
MATERIALS
Building world-class product requires exceptional design and ceaseless innovation. We apply these principles to our material selection, manufacturing processes and environmental compliance program. Black Diamond products are synonymous with outstanding performance—but not at the expense of destroying the lands where we recreate. We believe it is our responsibility not only to deliver the best performing gear, but to do so while minimizing adverse environmental effects.
APPAREL
100% of our apparel styles utilize one Bluesign primary certified material. Not only will our apparel provide zero distractions in outdoor pursuits; but each piece of apparel was designed to keep you protected while protecting the places in which you wear it. In addition, our apparel hangtags are also made from 100% recycled paper.
Learn more information on our Leather, Flame Retardants Policy, PFOs and PFOAs, Wool Policy and Down Policies.
PFC-Free DWR
A less toxic and environmentally friendly durable water repellency finish so your shell can repel water while reducing harm to the environment.
EMPEL DWR by GTT
PFC–Free, extremely durable, with unparalleled performance, GTT Empel uses a patented process to permanently hyper-fuse the water protective finish directly to the individual fibers of the fabric, offering unmatched super-hydrophobic properties, while maintaining optimal breathability.
Recycled Content
Whenever possible, we use recycled fabrics in our apparel to maintain performance while maximizing sustainability.
Organic Cotton
Our organic cotton is certified to come from farms not using synthetic fertilizers, biocides or GMO seeds. These along with other required better farming practices result in cotton production having a reduced impact on the environment as a result. Organic cotton used in the apparel line is primarily certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).
RDS Certified Down
All Black Diamond garments filled with Down are certified under the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). The RDS ensures that the down used is sourced with the highest ethical stands and traceability through independent, third-party assessments of all aspects of animal rearing and handling, as well as chain of custody through the entire supply chain will help to improve the well- being of animals.
Certified Non-Mulesed Wool
Black Diamond is committed to responsibly sourced wool from suppliers and farmers who are devoted to animal health and welfare, using only responsibly sourced, certified non-mulesed merino wool. We work closely with experts in this area to guide our decisions to ensure the products we produce meet Black Diamond and customer expectations.
Bluesign® approved Material
Materials approved by Bluesign have undergone strict production criteria from the raw materials to the end product to ensure they follow standards that responsible and sustainable with regard to people, the environment and resources. With Bluesign® approved materials, users can be assured that their products were manufactured with responsible use of resources and the lowest possible impact on people and the environment.
CLIMBING HARDGOODS
- All of our harnesses have shell fabrics and other components that are Bluesign approved.
- Rope Remnants Project was implemented to use ropes that were destined to be scrap.
- Eco Gold Chalk has been developed to be more ecologically friendly. Eco chalk a byproduct of the desalination process and comes in packaging is 100% compostable.
- The Repo Chalk bag and Gym 30 bag are made from excess yardage from harnesses, packs, bags and really whatever we can get our hands on. Using fabric which would otherwise go to the landfill.
- All of BD’s climbing shoes include primarily net shape molded rubber components. This reduces waste by minimizing scrap in the manufacturing process.
- We’ve increased our efforts to utilize material and packaging from recycled content wherever possible/feasible.
MOUNTAIN CATEGORY
- Our tents come with DAC poles that feature a ‘Green Anodizing’ process that eliminates nitric and phosphoric acid to minimize environmental damage and improve the working environment.
- Our 30D Polyester Fabric used on Distance and Hilight tents, as well as the new Shelters and Mission tents features a colored pigment that is applied with the coating of the fabric in place of the more traditional dye processing that is quite water intensive.
- The Primaloft Gold Insulation that we use in majority of our insulated gloves has 55% Post-Consumer Recycled content.
- The updated Circuit and Session approach/lifestyle shoes will include a selection of recycled and natural materials.
- From 2019 to 2021 Trekking Pole Packaging has been reduced by 46.3%
SKI CATEGORY
- Our Skis are made in the Blizzard factory in Austria, which has ambitious goals of carbon neutrality.
- Blizzard has procduced more than 730 MWh of solar, which is an equivilant of 286 tons of CO2 or 959 planted trees, and has intentions to produce even more clean energy.
- Blizzard has implemented a heat recovery project that reduced energy consumption by 70% which won two awards from the Austrian government
- All waste from woodcore is separated and used as heating material inhouse, and an aluminium recycling project is ongoing with the target to reuse all aluminium waste.
- From 2019 to 2021 Ski Pole Packaging has been reduced by 46.3%
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY
From the beginning, making a difference on behalf of our fellow community of users has been a core part of Black Diamond. Today, we are more committed to those guiding principles than ever, protecting and preserving the recreation lands that we love so dearly by focusing on making our products, manufacturing processes, supply chain, facilities and marketing materials more sustainable and less impactful. Equally important to us is our continued outspoken advocacy for conservation, equality, inclusion, and access causes—locally, regionally and globally—as well as philanthropic support to grassroots conservation and access-focused nonprofit groups.
We face many the challenges as a nation, whether it is climate change or social inequalities- Black Diamond supports access, equality, and inclusion in outdoor spaces and in the sports we serve. We acknowledge that social equity is not an area where we have a lot of prior experience, so we enter this conversation with humility and commit to continue to listen and learn from those around us. Black Diamond has a Sustainability Committee and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to ensure that these core values remain a primary focus of BD as we continue to listen, grow, learn and advocate on behalf of our communities.
European Outdoor Conservation Association
Camber Outdoors
Outdoor Industry Association
The Nature Conservancy
Access Fund
Conservation Alliance
Save Our Canyons
Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
Cottonwood Canyons Foundation
Protect our Winters (POW)
Association of Outdoor Recreation (AORE)
The Honnold Foundation