Did you know Storm Creek’s initial sustainability goal was to upcycle a million plastic bottles. We’re proud to say we’ve now upcycled almost 50 times that into long-lasting, great-fitting apparel.
In 2017 we decided to go all-in for the environment. By 2020 we produced an all-sustainably-made line that included everyday tee shirts to comfortable officewear to extreme outerwear. We also became a bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER and committed to using PFAS-free materials and carbon-neutral shipping.
And our journey continues.
We’re on a constant mission to improve and develop fabrics that increase the percentage of recycled and sustainable materials we use in our garments. This fall collection represents a new high for us that we’re eager to share with you:
Recycled Polyester (rPET)
Our Bottle to Better process is the foundation of our sustainability commitment. We use recycled polyester (rPET) made from upcycled plastic water bottles in nearly every product at some level. It can be in one component or an entire garment.
The process is straightforward: We collect post-consumer plastic bottles and send them to our factories where they’re washed and chopped into flakes. These flakes are melted down and turned into beads. Next, the beads are heated and spun into yarn. Finally, the yarn is woven into the fabrics we use in our apparel.
Every item we sell is assigned a “bottle count.” This tells you how many plastic bottles were used in making of that item—and therefore have NOT been destined for plastic waste in landfills or oceans.
bluesign® APPROVED Fabrics
bluesign® is the gold standard in the textile world for sustainable manufacturing. When you see the bluesign® label on apparel, you can be sure it’s been made with strict adherence to the highest standards for:
- Chemical, water and energy consumption
- Carbon emission
- Worker health and safety
Storm Creek is a bluesign® SYSTEM PARTNER, joining fewer than 80 other brands worldwide committed to these high standards at every step of their processes.
We aim to produce all our styles with bluesign® APPROVED fabrics by the end of 2025. The bluesign®APPROVED label means the yarns we use follow stringent standards from start to finish.
Here are a couple of exciting new products that have this prestigious label:
- Challenger Jacket—A sleek and elevated jacket with a tailored, modern fit. It’s equally comfortable and stylish with its ultra-stretch recycled polyester/polyester/spandex blend.
- Outdoer Pullover (Coming Spring 2025)—This lightweight and stretchy pullover is wind-and-water resistant and ready for outdoor adventuring. It can be worn alone or layered over a tee.
Rayon from Bamboo
Bamboo is well-known as a fast-growing plant that needs little water to thrive in the right environment. It can grow almost three feet per day, making it one of the most sustainable materials on earth. Bamboo is also highly versatile. It’s used in dozens of applications across various industries, including fabrics.
Rayon made from bamboo is a sustainable fabric choice when the chemical processes used meet safe environmental standards. So it’s important to source bamboo rayon from the right manufacturer.
Storm Creek currently uses bamboo-based fabrics in four of our garments. We love the softness and comfort of the material and know you will too:
- Renewer II Quarter Zip—Affectionately known as Professional Pajamas around our office, these Quarter Zips look as fantastic as they feel. They’re ideal for outdoor excursions too. Not just because they’re so comfortable but because they have UPF 30+ sun protection and are naturally anti-microbial for all-day freshness.
- Renewer Polo (men’s, women’s coming Spring 2025)—Just as soft and comfy, but a short-sleevedpolo silhouette.
- Unwinder Polo—This short-sleeved polo is made with a breathable, moisture-wicking bamboo-blend fabric that features a subtle print.
- Shoreliner Quarter Zip—Our first bamboo/organic cotton garment that’s a bit on the heavier side, making it ideal for layering on cool days. It features a relaxed and modern
Organic Cotton
As the name implies, organic cotton is grown without synthetic chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Organic cotton farmers typically practice crop rotation to enrich the soil, use less water during the growing season, and introduce natural pest predators to help increase their yield.
The cotton then must follow environmentally and people-friendly processes for production into yarns and fabrics to retain the organic label.
A few Storm Creek items incorporate organic cotton in the blend:
- Prodigy Button Down (Coming Spring 2025)—This new button-down for men is incredibly soft and comfortable with an organic cotton/recycled polyester/spandex blend. (We suspect it’ll give our Renewer Quarter Zip some competition in the Best Professional Pajamas)
- Shoreliner Quarter Zip—As we mentioned a minute ago, the Shoreliner is an organic cotton and bamboo rayon blend that provides warmth without weight. Like your favorite sweatshirt only better.
- Maverick Quarter Zip (men’s) and Button Up (women’s)—Our stylish waffle knit on the outside with its soft jersey on the inside makes the Maverick super cozy. It’s made with an organic cotton/recycled polyester blend.
LENZING™ Modal Rayon
We’re so excited about our new Comfort Zone Collection made with LENZINGTM modal rayon, a fabric that seems almost too good to be true. It’s primarily made from cellulosic fiber, a tree-based material. This fabric is environmentally friendly from harvest to production to end-of-life. It’s compostable and biodegradable (although its durability means your garment will last for years before it’s ready for that stage). It’s also super soft and breathable.
Our Comfort Zone Collection (coming November 2024 and January 2025) includes a Crew, Full Zip Hoodie and Pants for women and a Quarter Zip for men. These garments are a luxurious blend of recycled polyester, LENZINGTM modal rayon and spandex. We guarantee you’ve never felt anything so soft.
Sustainable Insulations
Our ever-popular outerwear is seeing some eco-friendly improvements too.
- Thermolite EcoMade Insulation—Our outerwear that’s used Thermolite insulation in the past is now made with 85% recycled Thermolite EcoMade insulation. We’re thrilled about this improvement, especially because jackets and vests (like our Front Runner and Traveler lines) are some of our best sellers.
- NEW: REPREVE® Down-Like Insulation—Another exciting product addition is this synthetic insulation made from post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste. Lightweight, breathable, warm, packable and washable, this insulation is also recyclable, taking sustainability full circle. Our Pacific Puffer Vest takes full advantage of this brand-new innovation, as well as the Altitude Quilted Bomber Jacket (women’s, coming Spring 2025).
We’re proud to offer hundreds of styles and colors for men and women that score high on durability and comfort all while made with eco-friendly fabrics and processes. The planet benefits and you do, too!
