Outdoor brand Mountain Hardwear has been named Corporate Partner of the Year by the non-profit organization Leave No Trace. The award recognizes the brand's efforts to raise the profile of Leave No Trace principles – which form the bedrock of protecting nature while enjoying it.
One of the California brand's key initiatives for which it received recognition is organizing more than 100 hours of environmental service work by its employees in the Bay Area.
"This distinction honors the company’s relentless commitment to environmental stewardship and its proactive role in promoting sustainable outdoor practices," says Leave No Trace in a press release.
Like many other industry leaders, Mountain Hardwear has also taken to using PFC-free DWR in garments like the Exposure/2 Gore-Tex Pro mountain jacket, responsible down in its popular sleeping bags like the Mountain Hardwear Phantom, dope dying processes that use fewer resources and recycled materials to reduce the impact of its production.
Also noted in the award, Mountain Hardwear is said to have given environmental education to thousands of festival goers at outdoor festivals this year.
“Mountain Hardwear’s connection with the leading environmental education organization allows our shared missions to be amplified – empowering more people to experience and connect with nature while becoming more conscious stewards,” says Kathryn Luna, Senior Brand Marketing Specialist with LNT.
As part of the partnership, the Leave No Trace x Mountain Hardwear collection will drop this spring, with a focus on sustainability.
Mountain Hardwear was formed in 1993 by former employees of Sierra Designs. Its first sponsored athlete, Ed Viesturs, is the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks. The brand was acquired by Columbia Sportswear in 2003.
