Closing the Loop in Mountain Sports: How South Tyrol’s Oberalp Group Is Tackling Outdoor Gear Waste

For outdoor brands, the ultimate paradox has long been clear: manufacturing technical gear to help people enjoy nature often comes at a steep environmental cost. In its latest sustainability report, Contribute 2025, South Tyrolean mountain sports group Oberalp outlines its blueprint to resolve that tension by doubling down on textile-to-textile recycling, mono-material engineering, and dedicated repair services.

Oberalp—the parent house behind iconic mountain sports brands including Salewa, Dynafit, La Munt, Evolv, Wild Country, and Pomoca—revealed that over 80% of its corporate carbon footprint stems directly from product manufacturing and raw materials. In response, the Bolzano-based group is shifting focus toward circular product design and extending the operational lifespan of its gear.

Designing for Circularity: Textiles and Mono-Materials

Achieving true circularity in technical outdoor apparel is notoriously complex. Waterproof membranes, elastane blends, metal zippers, and specialized coatings make traditional textile recycling difficult. Rather than relying solely on post-consumer plastic bottles, Oberalp is focusing on true textile-to-textile recycling:

• Salewa’s 90th Anniversary Collection: To mark Salewa’s 90-year milestone, the brand launched a limited-edition capsule made entirely from recycled polyester, with 51% of the material sourced directly from recycled textiles.

• La Munt’s Pure Fleece: Women-focused brand La Munt introduced select fleece garments crafted from 100% single-polymer polyester components, simplifying future recycling streams.

• Mono-Material Focus: By minimizing mixed-fiber blends and engineering gear from single material families, products can be processed at end-of-life without labor-intensive separation.

"Circularity cannot be achieved through a single material innovation or an isolated product. It requires thinking about usage, repair, and material recovery together as a connected system." said  Ruth Oberrauch, President of the Oberalp Group

Extending Product Lifespan: Over 7,000 Products Saved

While closed-loop recycling tackles end-of-life processing, Oberalp emphasizes that keeping existing gear functional in the field remains the most effective way to reduce overall environmental impact.

Through brand-specific maintenance initiatives—such as Dynafit’s Care & Repair Service, Salewa’s Second Life program, and Evolv’s climbing shoe resoling network—repair volume grew by 19% in 2025. Since 2023, the group has successfully repaired and refurbished more than 7,000 products.

Navigating Systemic Challenges & Net-Zero 2050

Despite structural hurdles—such as limited regional collection networks, sorting capacities, and non-recyclable trims like waterproof zippers—Oberalp is aligning its long-term strategy with science-based targets.

As part of its commitment to its Net-Zero 2050 strategy, the group has formally joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and automated its life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon tracking processes. By combining rigorous carbon accounting with repair-focused customer services, Oberalp aims to set a pragmatic standard for sustainability across the outdoor industry.