Gondwana

• About the company

on the Razorback, VIC

From their website:
“The Gondwana philosophy is simple: we design gear for people who lead active lives. Inspired by our very own unique Australian landscape, we’ve built that same rugged spirit into our clothing. From humble beginnings over 20 years ago, our brand has evolved into the comprehensive range of adventure clothing and footwear on offer today”.

Gondwana aims to provide “value for money” adventure clothing.

• My summary

While the company does seem to be looking for lower impact options for their equipment, they do not have any information available about working conditions in their facilities (and have not provided information after I have made requests). Given that most companies that are demanding good working conditions are proud of this fact, one can only assume this is not a priority for the company. Hence their relatively lower rating. The use of lower impact materials has not yet broken out of some niche marketing as yet.

• category

getting there (**)

Sustainability criteria:

• reporting framework.

How does the company benchmark what it does/ reports? Does it use one of the international accredited systems

No information available.

• information on resources used – recycled materials, use of renewable materials, etc

“Our commitment to preserving the very environment we love to explore has driven us to develop eco-friendly fabrics that deliver the same level of performance as traditional performance fabrics, whilst minimising the impact on the environment”.

The company uses a range of lower impact materials in their clothing. These include recycled fabrics, and bamboo and soy-based fabric. The soy is from waste from the creation of other soy products, including tofu, soy milk and soy oil.

Of their 14 product lines (different types of materials used in their clothing: info here), three use lower impact materials.

Check the specific information of the product you’re interested in to see if these materials are included.

Extra details here.

• energy consumption & carbon dioxide emissions

• distance travelled

It appears that all their products are made offshore, hence the travel footprint is considerable.

• waste generated
• water consumption
• working conditions

No information available on any of these criteria

• other environmental claims or benefits

Gondwana supports Bush Heritage, which is a national non-profit organization that “protects Australia’s unique animals, plants and their habitats. Bush Heritage acquires and manages land of outstanding conservation value, or works in partnership with other landowners. Their vision for 2025 is to protect 1 per cent of Australia”.

Extra information here.

• details on who stocks the item/ where to find it/ where to get further information

To find a stockist, check here.