From kayaking along the Santa Barbara coast to hiking in the backcountry, our team deeply appreciates the great outdoors. This love for nature has created a sense of environmental responsibility that extends beyond our weekend excursions and into our workweek operations.

Today, we're taking you behind the scenes to look at the sustainability initiatives we’ve taken over the past few years. Join us as we explore how our commitment to the environment is woven into who we are and what we stand for here at Nomad.

Since 2020, we’ve partnered with Climate Neutral to offset 100% of our carbon emissions. That includes emissions created as a result of supply chain, product production, employee commuting, business travel, utility bills, and more.

Why does this matter? Carbon emissions, primarily in the form of carbon dioxide, are a significant driver of climate change. They trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to rising temperatures, disruptions to ecosystems, and extreme weather events. It's a global challenge that calls for collective action on every level.

At Nomad, we're committed to making a tangible difference. Each year, we reassess our carbon footprint and identify new opportunities to further minimize it. Learn more about the Climate Neutral Certified program here.

In the past few years, our Product Team has focused on incorporating more recycled materials into our products. Our iPhone cases are a prime example of this dedication in action. We've pushed the boundaries to incorporate recycled materials that not only elevate the quality of our cases but also demonstrate our commitment to a greener future.

One of our cornerstone practices is the use of 100% recycled aluminum for our case components. By breathing new life into this versatile material, we're diverting it from landfills and bypassing the energy-intensive process of extracting virgin aluminum.

Up to 50% of the polycarbonate used in Modern Leather Case and Folio is recycled, championing responsible material sourcing and significantly reducing our reliance on virgin plastics. Similarly, Super Slim Case is crafted from 50% post-industrial recycled materials.

Our genuine leather is made from the hides of cows that are a byproduct of the meat industry. After slaughter, the cow hides are tanned and processed into leather. This makes use of more of the animal and reduces waste. Plus, the vegetable tanning process used at traditional tanneries like Horween Leather Company utilizes the all-natural tannins found in bark and plants.

In contrast, many vegan leathers contain plastics like polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride. These fossil fuel-derived materials are mixed with other chemicals and then applied to a fabric backing. The entire production process is much faster than traditional tanning, but it relies more heavily on environmentally harmful chemicals.

In early 2022, we kicked off the Nomad Warehouse, an area of our website where customers can shop lightly used and refurbished gear. Each product is thoroughly inspected to ensure it looks great and performs flawlessly. And the best part? These items are eligible for return and exchange and are covered by our 2-year warranty. Giving our gear a second life reduces one-time use and waste.

We understand how wasteful packaging can be and that’s why we’ve committed to reducing and removing plastic and virgin forest fiber from our packaging materials and shipping supplies. We replaced plastic hang tabs with woven paper loops and opted for a slide-open design over magnetic closure. These changes make our packaging more easily recyclable by our customers and local recycling facilities.

We also decided not to include adapters with most of our chargers. We believe many of our customers already own multiple power adapters and providing additional units would create unnecessary packaging and electronic waste. Excluding adapters means we can make our packaging smaller and lighter and allows us to ship products to their final destination more efficiently, lowering our carbon footprint.

We’ve partnered with Everland Marketing to support their Mai Ndombe Project, a monumental effort to protect one of the world's last great rainforests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since its launch in 2011, this project has achieved remarkable feats. Logging is now a thing of the past, and deforested areas are making a comeback.

We’re also brand ambassadors forProtecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies. BWBS incentivizes ship operators to reduce vessel speeds when commuting along the California coastline. Their mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, endangered whale strikes, and underwater noises from vessels. Read our full statement here.

We're proud of how far we have come in reducing our environmental impact, but we know there is much more to be done. We're always looking for better ways to create durable, premium products with minimal impact on the planet and we'd love your help. If you'd like to connect with us about sustainable material options or carbon offsetting please email sustainability@nomadgoods.com.