Archive for the 'sustainable' Category

Green Living Project takes on South America

Ever notice how much we tend to focus on what’s not working instead of what is working. And with the media’s ’sky is falling’ take on things, it’s easy to understand why every problem looks we’re up you-know-what creek without a paddle.

So, Gregory decided to take a different approach and team up with the Green Living Project, which lends us that much needed paddle to one of the larger issues weighing heavy on everyone’s mind- global warming. The project takes a positive approach and documents stories of successful sustainable living projects going on around the world with the goal of inspiring people with ways to get involved and help promote sustainability.

Most recently the crew returned from South America where they filmed 8 unique sustainability projects across Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. In order to make their journey, Gregory outfitted the 5 travelers (including celebrity actor Sebastian Roche) with the Whitney 95, Deva 85, Palisade, Miwok, and Alpaca Duffles.  The packs proved durable in carrying their multimedia equipment throughout the brutal conditions of the Amazon, volcano regions, and mountainous regions of the various South American countries.

Last year, the crew focused on Africa recording 20 different sustainability projects, including community development, water conservation, organic farming, women’s empowerment, solar and biogas renewable energy programs, mountain gorilla, cheetah, leopard, rhino and hyena conservation projects, eco-tourism and responsible adventure travel destinations.

If you’re a sustainability advocate, a passionate world traveler or interested in finding a way to give back, these films are definitely worth seeing.  You can still catch the end of that film tour as well as the premiere of the South America film in Salt Lake City throughout Outdoor Retailer, July 21-24.

Gregory’s packs now PVC-free, a step in a good direction

Gregory’s backpacking line is now PVC free. It’s but one step in the process of making products that are better in terms of their effect on the environment. Though it’s hardly one worth printing up marketing materials to tout.

And yet, it’s one we want the Gregory community to know about. Because ultimately, making products that are better in a variety of arenas is an evolutionary process, not one of overnight change, and that’s something Gregory is very definitely committed to.

Why get rid of PVC?

PVC is nearly indestructible. Which makes it good in terms of building something that lasts. But bad when it ends up in a landfill. Worse, it can’t be recycled and re-used. We switched instead to a TPU that is super-durable, and works for the same uses where we were using PVC, but is instead 100 percent recyclable at the end of a pack’s life span, and will break down more quickly than PVC when disposed of, which PVC basically doesn’t. Not to mention there are many health concerns with PVC, including production of dioxins in the manufacturing process.

These days, green is in. And for good reason. People are realizing more than ever before that their actions day to day - and the things they choose to buy - are big factors in the state of our planet. Continue reading >>

Peak bagging for a better world anyone?

Got a note today from the folks over at Bay Area Wilderness Training, one of the nonprofit groups we support here at Gregory. They’re just ramping up their Climbing for Kids Program for 2009. It’s a great way to bag one of North America’s great peak’s and do something good in one fell swoop. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Here’s the scoop from BATW:

Join Climbing For Kids and kill two birds with one stone.  Climb one of the greatest peaks in North America and help give under-privileged youth the opportunity to experience the wilderness firsthand. 

 In 2009, climbers will have the experience of a lifetime when they ascend one of the five most sought-after peaks in the US and Mexico: Rainier, Whitney, Shasta, the Grand Teton, or Pico de Orizaba. On top of that, each climber will also receive $1,500 worth of FREE, brand-new, mountaineering gear. In return, climbers agree to fundraise on behalf of the Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT). This five-mountain benefit climb program is BAWT’s biggest fundraising event of the year and will raise more than $200,000. Continue reading >>

Learning how others are living green

There’s no shortage of people trying to be green these days. Sometimes one wonders when some relatively new and small effort is touted as making a company “green.” And sometimes, it pays to take a cue from what others are doing.

In the process of moving into its new headquarters in Sacramento recently, Gregory tried to incorporate some sustainable elements in the design, things like using recycling office furniture and furnishings, and LEED standards for natural light. So it made the folks at Gregory think when - around the same time - Rob Holmes, founder of the Green Living Project, came knocking, looking for partners for his effort. Gregory signed on, and Holmes and his team are about to roll out some of the work they’ve done.

Continue reading >>

The Green Living Project in Africa

Gregory is supporting the Green Living Project, a 5-year project traveling around the world to document successful examples of sustainable or ‘green living’ projects. GLP will study and report on projects administered by leading conservation organizations (e.g. Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, African Wildlife Foundation), tour companies (e.g. CC Africa), tourism boards (e.g. Kenya Tourism), and resorts/lodges, etc.

The crew has started in Africa and are posting updates on their blog. We’ll keep the RSS feed of their dispatches in our sidebar. GLP is an interesting and adventurous project. The results of this expedition will provide us with insight and ideas behind a smaller footprint.