FOR THE PLANET
PRODUCTS & MATERIALS
We're here to make products that get you outside. The last thing we want is for our gear to harm the home we love.
As a product-focused company obsessed with sustainability, our process and progression starts with sourcing preferred materials for our products and packaging. We’re setting ambitious goals, looking at the entire product life cycle, considering the bigger picture like chemicals, energy, and resources used in the manufacturing process, and partnering with trusted third-party certifiers like bluesign® to hold us to a high standard.
We keep pushing the boundaries of innovative, sustainable design without sacrificing quality or technical performance.
But it’s a continual journey, which is why we approach every aspect of R&D and product design by balancing sustainability and performance. We’ve set aggressive goals to ensure we continue to lead the industry.
FOR THE PLANET
OUR NATURAL FIBER STANDARD
Cotton, down, wool, leather, and forest-based fibers have traditionally been some of the dirtiest and least ethically-sourced materials due to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides and harmful animal welfare and forestry practices.
We’re holding ourselves accountable through our responsible Natural Fiber Standard.
We try to source 100% third-party certified natural materials that significantly reduce or eliminate the harms of traditional processes to help protect our people and the planet.
AND WE USE:
ORGANIC COTTON
In 2023, we achieved our goal to source 100% organic cotton. Global Organic Textile Standard is a third party standard for textiles that establishes environmental management criteria at all processing stages. We also intentionally source from countries where organic cotton is ethically grown.
DOWN
In 2021, we achieved our goal to source 100% responsible down. Responsible Down Standard is a third-party standard that establishes animal welfare criteria and material traceability in the supply chain.
WOOL
By 2026, we will achieve our goal to source 100% responsible wool. Responsible Wool Standard is a third party standard that establishes animal welfare, land management, and social requirements criteria in the supply chain.
LEATHER WORKING GROUP
In 2024, we achieved our goal to source 100% of our leather from tanneries that follow strict environmental and manufacturing standards to reduce air and water pollution. We are committed to supporting responsible leather manufacturing across the globe and are proud members of Leather Working Group.
Check out our 2025 goals page for more details on how we’re tracking progress towards these goals.
MATERIAL SOURCING
CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
What’s chemistry got to do with it? Everything. Yes, toxic chemicals can make their way into finished products (and then onto our skin, waterways, and snowpacks). But the real dirty secret is the impact toxic chemicals have on workers and communities where products are made.
The basics: we require our suppliers to meet the requirements of our restricted substances list or RSL and invest in certified materials, like bluesign®, OEKO TEX Standard 100, and Leather Working Group. We also monitor chemical usage and assess environmental performance—like air emissions and water usage at production facilities annually. Tools like this keep us consistent in our measurement and identify opportunities for improvement.
PARTNERING WITH BLUESIGN® SINCE 2011
Since 2011, we’ve worked with industry-leading bluesign®—a system that sets strict safety standards throughout the entire textile production supply chain— to ensure efficient manufacturing and relentlessly minimize pollution and maximize chemical safety. When you see a bluesign® certified material or product, you can be confident that you’re purchasing something made with the safety of people and the planet in mind.
We’re proud to be leading the industry on bluesign® products, but when we can’t source bluesign® certified materials, we opt for other highly vetted clean chemistry certifications like Oeko Tex-standard 100 and Leather Working Group. Sustainable production and clean chemistry are constant journeys for us. Over 65% of our products are bluesign®, and our goal is to get to 100% by 2025.
RECYCLED & RENEWABLE MATERIALS
We’re constantly thinking about ways to reduce our reliance on virgin plastics, carbon-intensive materials, and non-renewable resources. You’ll see us using recycled polyester fibers in our apparel, bio-based resins on our boards, and recycled (and recyclable!) paper in our packaging. Every season we’re progressing and focusing on our materials. We dropped acrylic from our beanies when we calculated the environmental cost and swapped it for recycled polyester. We use Life Cycle Analysis and the Higg Materials Sustainability Index to measure our materials’ environmental impact and evaluate other certified materials including the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Check out our 2025 Goals to see where we’re headed.
PACKAGING
When it comes to packaging, we focus on two objectives: sourcing low-impact materials and eliminating as much waste as possible. We aim to be landfill-free—which means all of our packaging will be made from at least 80% post-consumer recycled materials and be widely recyclable around the globe or compostable at home. And since we’re talking packaging, let’s address the single-use plastic problem head-on. Microplastics have found their way onto our highest mountains and into our deepest oceans, and Burton packaging should not be part of the problem. We joined the Responsible Packaging Movement and have made strategic changes to some of our packaging, like replacing the poly bag with a glassine paper bag.
ON OUR WAY TO PFC-FREE DWR
What’s the deal with DWR? DWR, or Durable Water Repellent, is a special polymer-based coating that makes technical fabrics water-resistant and keeps us dry and riding all day long. High-performing DWR can be made of perfluorocarbons or PFCs. By 2016, we removed added PFAS in durable water-repellent treatments (DWR) from the majority of our products. In 2022, we increased our ambition to remove PFAS across all of our products and materials and by Winter 2023-2024 removed intentionally added PFAS from 82% of our products. By the current season, Winter 2024 – 2025, 96% of our products are free of intentionally added PFAS. Next season, for Winter 2025 - 2026, our product line will be 100% free of intentionally added PFAS. See more here.