Adventure School: Mountain Designs Wearing Sustainability on its Sleeve

For over 40 years, outdoor clothing retailer Mountain Designs has embraced a deep love for the outdoors. The proudly Australian owned and operated company is well-known for its adoption of sustainable practices and cutting-edge product innovations, such as recycled oyster shell fabric and recycled coffee bean fibre down.

The product innovation team at Mountain Designs aren’t afraid to try new things to lessen their impact on the environment. Driven by a powerful desire for sustainable design, they continuously test new fabrics, insulation and product technologies to find solutions that are better for their customers and the planet.

Recently, Mountain Designs released their 2017 range of recycled oyster shell shirts. Coined Seawool, the extraordinary fabric in these shirts combines recycled oyster shells from the food industry and recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The result is a ‘wool like’ material that is soft and retains warmth.

Mountain Designs CEO Caroline Machado Campos said Mountain Designs is the first Australian brand to use this innovative fabric.

“We are excited to be the first Australian clothing retailer to offer this product to the Australian market. This is a wonderful alternative to pure wool clothing because it is easier to care for, is wrinkle free and dries quickly yet still provides the warmth and soft touch that makes wool products so popular,” she said.

Other eco-conscious innovations include their recycled coffee fibre down jackets and vests. These garments are made from ethically sourced down blended with recycled coffee grounds. The result is down jackets that are warm, breathable and better for the environment. Mountain Designs also have jackets made from a sustainable bamboo down blend and recycled down from cushions and bedding.

“We don’t just want to use natural material, we also want to reclaim and re-use waste to reduce landfill and help protect our precious environment,” says Caroline.

In addition to designing eco-conscious garments, Mountain Designs supports a range of environmental ventures. In 2016, they established a partnership with Sea Shepherd Australia and have been supporting the protection of the environmentally and culturally significant Bibbulmun track for 20 years.

With a love of the outdoors comes a strong desire to protect it. Mountain Designs equips people to enjoy the outdoors now, while helping protect it for future generations.