The Journal

CHAMPIONING SUSTAINABILITY: BLACKYAK'S ROLE IN REVOLUTIONIZING PET RECYCLING IN SOUTH KOREA The story of K-rPET —Korean Recycled PET (Polyethylene terephthalate, also known as polyester) begins in 2018, when China's ban on plastic waste imports disrupted the global waste management chain, and created a waste crisis in South Korea—witnessing a dramatic surge in plastic use, without municipal plastic recycling infrastructure in place. This crisis drove innovation, making environmental responsibility not optional but necessary for businesses. In response, BlackYak —Nau’s parent company— collaborated with the Korean government to pioneer innovative PET recycling in the country. By partnering with synthetic fiber manufacturer TK Chemical and local governments, they established a cooperative system to collect transparent PET bottles and create products from them. They also collaborated with water bottle companies to create transparent bottles, which are crucial for recycling into drink bottles or polyester thread. PET bottles and polyester share the same material, allowing bottles to be transformed into thread. These flakes are then processed into uniform chips, and synthetic fiber manufacturers turn them into thread for functional apparel. The initiative began in 2020 when BlackYak became the first company in Korea to manufacture functional apparel using Korean recycled PET (K-rPET), a fiber sourced from PET bottles collected within the country. In fact—BlackYak's Winter 2023 collection is almost all made using K-rPET. The recycled polyester styles are sturdy, soft, lightweight, and dry easily — the ultimate for comfort outdoors. This collaborative effort aims to reduce reliance on imported discarded plastic, fostering a sustainable resource circulation system. Recycling PET bottles in lieu of using raw petroleum materials results in a remarkable 65% reduction in carbon emissions and a 70% decrease in energy consumption during production.The emphasis on waste reduction and recycling has already led to a significant drop in daily household waste generation and a recycling rate of 60%. As South Korea strives to reduce plastic waste and increase recycling, it aims to reduce waste by 50% and recycle 70% of plastic waste by 2030. While challenges remain, including limitations on further recycling of plastic bottle-based garments, South Korea's progress in recycling and sustainability serves as an inspiring example of how innovative solutions and dedicated efforts can transform a nation's waste management practices. The journey towards a greener, more sustainable future continues, with businesses like BlackYak leading the way. Sources: The New York Times, The Korea Herald, Green Future Index 2022

We rounded up some staff-approved Summer camping spots in the PNW for your summer camping trip inspiration 🌲

Welcome to the first in a new series we're calling the nau guides, covering a range of topics related to outdoor enrichment in the Pacific Northwest and sustainability in fashion. Nau, we love Portland for its proximity to stunning natural scenes, of course, but also for “keeping it weird” with some very fun local community events. Here is a round up of some of the nau staff favorites throughout the year. We are adding them to the calendar and thought you might want to as well— whether you live here or are planning your trip to the PNW.We’ll see you there! (Wear your nau apparel so we know to say hello. 😉) Spring events— "It's is more of a natural event, but it's spring blooms in the Gorge! Only lasts about 2 weeks and it's spectacular. The Dog Mountain hike is fab!" —Erica, store manager   "My favorite annual event is to enjoy Cherry Blossoms in Tom McCall Waterfront Park between Morrison Bridge and Steel Bridge every March.  I feel the Spring comes to Portland again when I enjoy the Cherry Blossoms there." —JJ, VP   "I would say the St. Johns Parade is my favorite, usually there’s a 'bizarre' with shops and bands to go along with it. Great event for all ages. It hasn’t happened for a couple years but hopefully it will be back this year, usually mid-May." - JB, graphic design   "The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, OR is beautiful and a fun scene." —Helen, operations   Summer events— "My favorite event is the Portland Rose Festival —because it signifies the beginning of summer with fun events including parades, the starlight run, and especially the dragon boat races - Josh, accounting manager   "Portland Pickles baseball games: Fun, cheap, easy, good for families. Close to Zoiglhaus Brewing to pregame 😊" - Anthony, operations manager   "Usually the Corgi Walk and the Mt. Tabor Soapbox Derby happen on the same day in August — it's one of my favorite Saturdays in the entire summer." -Amanda, marketing manager   Fall events— "Rose City Comic Con in September—not super unique to PDX, but I go almost every year. Fun time to be nerdy, and in early October: Greek Fest — A Portland tradition! Fill up on delicious Greek food!" —Anthony (again)   "My pick for PNW event is Mt Angel Oktoberfest. It's super family friendly and fun for all ages." —Youngsoon, product line manager

Happy Holidays from the Nau U.S. Team! We rounded up the staff faves for the season — click through to see the top picks for the eco-friendly and fashion forward on your gift list this holiday season. (Hint: It's 100% Recycled Poly Fleece FTW)

Nothing brings more joy than seeing someone make something beautiful. Earlier this month local artist Jerilyn Gallardo was commissioned by NAU Portland to create a stunning window mural.     Teaming up with the NAU marketing department, Jerilyn was asked to represent our favorite sustainable material of Recycled Down through her own eyes. Together, the team created something very special for the winter season using local talent, creative collaboration, and, of course recycled materials. Take a peek at the images below to see the artist in action.      Our world feels overwhelming at the moment due to the stress of living in a pandemic. The messaging of "Falling For Down" brings a sense of welcome weightlessness, perfectly captured in the brush strokes of the artist. With this installment, NAU hopes to give the Portland community art that evokes lightness to the darkest time of year.      Where can people find out more about the artist? Check out her Instagram and make sure to stop by our retail location in the Pearl District, Portland Oregon. The mural install will run from 12/9/21 through the end of January, and keep checking our blog posts for more collaborations. 

Using recycled down from reclaimed post-consumer down duvets and pillows is a sustainable alternative to virgin down, that still offers the highest warmth-to-weight of any insulation. In 2015, Nau became the first apparel brand to introduce a down product line that features 100% recycled down. We use 650-fill and 700-fill recycled down for our insulation, these measurements refer to the cubic inches of loft per ounce.   Starting with reclaimed duvets and pillows, the down and feathers are removed, cleaned, and then sorted according to their quality. This allows us to select recycled down with the exact same specifications as virgin down, and thus identical performance characteristics. RE:DOWN has more information about this process and recycled down's other uses.   Global Recycled Standard and SCS Recycled Content Certification to verify the source and composition of our recycled down products. We've proven recycled down can achieve the premium fill power required for cold-weather performance, leading many major outdoor industry brands to initiate their own recycled down collections.   Check out our Recycled Down items that are available now online and in-store.  

SOME BACKGROUND ON RECYCLED POLYESTER: PET (also abbreviated PETE) is short for polyethylene terephthalate, the chemical name for polyester. PET is a clear, strong, and lightweight plastic that is widely used for packaging foods and beverages, especially convenience-sized soft drinks, juices and water. Virtually all single-serving and 2-liter bottles of carbonated soft drinks and water sold in the U.S. are made from PET. At Nau, after collecting waste PET bottles by color, we make sustainable products with recycled polyester fabrics and fillers produced through washing, melting, and spinning processes. Recycled polyester is a material that can directly counteract the plastic waste issue that is currently problematic. On average, one recycled polyester T-shirt is made from 15 500ml PET bottles. RECYCLED POLYESTER AS AN INSULATION PRODUCT: With the recent rise of animal welfare issues in the fashion production process, artificial fiber fillers are being suggested as an alternative to animal fillers. Instead of using down and goose down, which is not produced ethically, we can use a filler made of polyester (which is a synthetic fiber) and help minimize the production of unethical down. However, the use of such synthetic fibers is not necessarily good because it increases dependence on fossil fuels. That's why Nau goes one step further and uses fillers developed from recycled polyester. This filler, reflecting the sustainability of Nau, was applied to the product in a fabric type and a ball-type depending on the application. Like regular synthetic fiber filling, it is lightweight and warm, which protects both animals and the environment. THE STATS Needs 59% less energy than virgin polyester Reduces CO2 emissions by 32% Keeps non-biodegradable plastic out of our oceans and landfills GRS & RCS certified     MORE INFO AND RECYCLED POLYESTER ITEMS: We gathered a lot of information on this subject, and there is plenty more to say. Our research began with The Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP). WRAP is a national public awareness and outreach initiative designed to make plastic film – including wraps, bags, and flexible packaging – a commonly recycled material with a strong and ever-growing recycling rate. Go W.R.A.P. For more options on how to contribute to recycling plastics in your area. Also check out the selection of items using Recycled Polyester on Nau.com.  

Introducing: Recycled Nylon Nylon was the first fabric produced entirely in a laboratory. As a synthetic material derived from petroleum, Nylon first became available during World War II for use with both military products and silk replacement for items like stockings. Today you're more likely to find it in activewear, swimwear, and other technical performance garments because of its durability and useful stretch properties.   Nylon is made from oil, a non-renewable resource, in an energy-intensive process. It sheds microplastic fibers that end up in our waterways and oceans every time it's washed. While having Recycled Nylon as a fabric in our collection will not fix the microplastic issue, it does repurpose materials that would end up in landfills and continues to work the fabric through the circular economy.  Recycled Nylon is usually made from pre-consumer fabric waste, though it may also come from post-consumer materials like industrial fishing nets. There are several "chain of custody" standards that track recycled Nylon through the supply chain, including the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS), and SCS Recycled Content.   But, What Else Is Sustainable About Recycled Nylon? Nylon is one of the essential plastic materials we use in our products, especially when durability is needed. Unfortunately, Nylon comes from petroleum which creates a discharge of CO2 during production and requires more than 30 years to decompose. By choosing recycled Nylon, we can reduce dependence on petroleum resources. It reduces waste from landfills and the ocean. Post-consumer recycled Nylon comes from discarded fishing nets or carpets. Pre-consumer Recycled Nylon comes from industrial Nylon trash, which would be down-cycled, downgraded, or landfilled. Less Co2 pollution: Recycled Nylon may emit 70% less CO2 than virgin Nylon   Where Can I Find More Information? Additional information is available at the Textile Exchange website. For more on this topic, follow the link below. Textile Exchange      

Nau has a long history of striving to make our company more than just a clothing line. One way we can meet this goal is by supporting organizations that advocate for environmental protections. We can meet this goal by donating 2% of  purchases to Conservation Alliance. This Father’s Day, pick up a gift with Nau so that your purchase gives more than just a gift. It means you’re investing in our dedication to #Actrightnau by supporting a foundation that protects the wild places in North America.   Why Support Grants? The Conservation Alliance seeks to protect threatened wild places throughout North America for their habitat and recreational values. As a group of outdoor companies, they recognize our responsibility to help protect the wild lands and waterways on which our customers recreate, and wildlife thrives. To achieve that goal, they make grants to nonprofit organizations working to protect the special wild lands and waters in their backyards. How Can I Help? When deciding what to get someone as a Father’s Day gift, make the choice to get something that gives back to what being a father means; being a role model for future generations. Follow the link below to see more information on organizations that Nau supports.  Donations With Nau