'Value Consumption' is the Trend... Outdoor Industry Expands Eco-Friendly Products

The North Face, Jeju Island & Hyosung TNC
Sold Out Popularity of Recycled PET Bottle Clothing
Industry Expands Eco-Friendly Share to Half
Diverse Product Range Including T-Shirts and Fleece

A product made by The North Face using PET bottles collected in Jeju.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] As ‘value consumption,’ which expresses social values through consumption, spreads mainly among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), the outdoor industry is accelerating the expansion of eco-friendly products.

If Possible, Eco-Friendly: The Spread of Value Consumption

On the 27th, outdoor brand The North Face’s eco-friendly clothing made by recycling about 10 million PET bottles, approximately 100 tons, in collaboration with Jeju Island and Hyosung TNC, is gaining popularity. Most of the first batch of fleece products have been sold out, and the second and third productions are underway.

Among products with similar prices and designs, the restocking rate of eco-friendly products is higher. This is due to a significant increase in customers who prefer to purchase eco-friendly products whenever possible. Jeju Island collects the PET bottles, Hyosung TNC processes them into yarn and supplies it, and The North Face manufactures the finished products, creating a virtuous cycle structure.

The eco-friendly product trend in Korea was first popularized by the American eco-friendly outdoor brand Patagonia. Patagonia Korea’s sales have increased by 35% annually over the past three years, showing its strong popularity. Patagonia uses more than half recycled materials for insulation in its clothing and avoids fabrics that cause environmental pollution, becoming a ‘symbol of environmental protection’ and gaining great popularity among young generations who value value consumption.

Expanding the Share of Eco-Friendly Products to Half

Eco-friendly products not only realize social values but also begin to have a significant impact on sales growth, leading domestic outdoor brands to rapidly increase the proportion of related products.

Kolon Sports, the outdoor brand under Kolon Industries FnC division, plans to apply eco-friendly materials to 50% of all Kolon Sports products by 2023, the brand’s 50th anniversary. The ‘Noah Project,’ a campaign started in 2016 to protect endangered flora and fauna in Korea, is at the core of this effort.

K2 plans to expand eco-friendly products to 40% of its total this year. In 2019, two years ago, eco-friendly products accounted for only 5%. They plan to expand recycled materials not only in clothing such as T-shirts, fleece, and down but also in various accessory categories.

BYN Black Yak has started producing eco-friendly products using transparent PET bottles collected in Seoul. In May last year, Black Yak signed a business agreement with TK Chemical, the Ministry of Environment, Gangwon Province, Gangneung City, and Samcheok City, launching Korea’s first K-rPET recycled fiber functional clothing through a transparent PET bottle resource circulation system that connects disposal, recycling, product manufacturing, and consumption.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.