NEMO Equipment Publishes First Sustainability Report

NEMO’s goal has always been to only create gear that provides a significantly better experience than what’s already available. By adding the sustainability challenge to their design process, the team at NEMO strive to produce items that are better for the planet and superior in performance.

From OSMO tent fabric, the first poly-nylon composite tent fabric on the market that’s 100% recycled and PFAS-free, to a bluesign sleeping pad – another market first – NEMO’s gear gives customers the tools they need to be lifelong lovers of adventure, whilst working on a solution to reduce the amount gear that ends up in landfill.

The company has just issued its first sustainability report. 

Founder Cam Brensinger says:

'At NEMO, we believe that adventure helps make us our best selves — humans who are conscious, inspired, connected, and mindful. And being our best selves, in turn, helps us design better gear.

'Taking responsibility for our impacts and striving to make a positive contribution to the world has been in our DNA since the beginning. In our earliest years, NEMO introduced the “Ditto” program, which upcycled production samples and manufacturing rejects into (now much-coveted) wallets and totes. Within our first decade as a company, we launched our first recycled fabric tent, complete with bamboo tent poles.

'From the start, NEMO has produced only products that deserve their place in the world by being truly different and better than what already exists. We do this because we’re hyper-aware of the resources required - and waste created - in manufacturing. With the launch of our Endless PromiseT Collection, we’re not just being mindful, we’re taking 100% responsibility for our products, long after they’re sold.

'By publishing our first official Sustainability Report, we hope to make these types of efforts more transparent to our customers and hopefully inspire some of our peers to do the same.'

According to research conducted by the Outdoor Industry Association, somewhere between 7 and 10 million new people have started recreating outside since the start of the pandemic. That staggering number includes more underrepresented communities than ever, with many BIPOC, women, and lower-income folks exploring for the first time.

Now is the time to arm customers with the tools they need to become lifelong lovers of adventure. They highlight

• 'EDUCATE The goal of the Adventure Resources page on our website is to provide answers these common questions:
• 'REPRESENT Too often, people are put off from trying something new simply because they’ve never seen someone like themselves doing it. We aim to change that for outdoor adventuring. 2022 marked the first step in our efforts to show a wider range of people in our imagery and content. Our annual brand shoot featured three models, each distinct in their own way.
• 'INVITE By partnering with key groups & organizations, we inspire folks to try something new and enable access to locations and resources that might otherwise be out of reach.
• 'ENGAGE Not only do we engage with our community through interactions at live events and on social media, but we also engage for them, too. Every year, NEMO lobbies for key outdoor issues in Washington, D.C. with the Outdoor Industry Association’s Recreation Advisory Council and The Conservation Alliance. Our priorities include smart climate policy, equitable outdoor access, and public lands protection.'

The Endless Promise

New Endless Promise products are under development that elevate circularity across the line.

• More Educational Resources Product-specific pages that compile everything you need to know, from setup and care to resale and recycling — accessible by simply scanning a QR code.
• Representation Behind the Lens.  They ’ve partnered with NativesOutdoors and ColdWater Collective on the  2023 brand campaign.
• Renewable Energy Used in Manufacturing Together with other OIA brands, they’re paying to install solar panels on one of theie  primary tent factories.
• More bluesign Products The upcoming launch of a new category includes a revolutionary design that’s also a bluesign certified product.