Backstory

We grew up in Romania, a beautiful country in eastern Europe with incredible landscapes, nature reserves and plenty of mountains. That is also where the Danube Delta is. And places in the Danube Delta are actually UNESCO protected. When we were kids, I remember always going there for multi-day camping during summer with our family and friends’ families. My parents (father) would always make us kids pick up the litter sometimes left behind by previous campers. I thought of it as a chore, but the difference it made to our camp site was impressive. At the end we all felt so satisfied with our work, looking at the trash bags and the clean camp site. It made us feel like we finally disserved to be there, because we’ve taken care of the nature first. It may be a little extreme, but we need to give back more than nature provides, to have a chance of preserving it for future generations.

Iulian Oana - Cofounder at HIKEBEATS

Our motivation

At HIKEBEATS we are fully committed to our mission to: Craft the highest quality outdoor equipment with minimal environmental impact. We recognize that, as a clothing startup, we play a major role in preserving the very nature we love to explore. In this industry is often tempting to cut corners to increase the profits. However, this would result in more waste and even more pollution, two of the things our Planet had more than enough. So our goal is to normalize sustainable manufacturing processes throughout the clothing industry. Following well defined practices we can ensure we give back more than we take.

Some brutal (but true) stats

Did you know that the clothing industry is responsible for polluting 20% of our clean water. This is mainly done through dyeing and microplastics. Clothes made of 100% polyester can release 700,000 microplastic fibres through a single wash. Also, only 1% of clothes are recycled into new clothes (source).

Every second, a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfills across the globe. This included bad quality as well as worn out clothing (source). Furthermore, the carbon emissions are expected to increase by 50% by 2030, if nothing changes in the apparel industry in the next few years (source).

Producing polyester releases two or three times more carbon emissions than cotton (source)

Textile dyeing is the second largest pollutant in the world for the water system. This is because the leftover water is thrown back into rivers (source).

Independent studies found that half of the clothing businesses covered do not focus on sustainability and make very little effort towards this aspect (source).

The dangers of plastic pollution

Marine Life Harm: Marine life can often ingest plastic debris, mistaking it for food. For example of how the microplastic can harm not only the oceans but us too: The microplastics reach the ocean and is eaten by aquatic organisms such as plankton, which in turn is eaten by small fish, then tuna and it bubbles up to us, back through the food chain.

Climate Impact: The production of plastic is an energy intensive task that is heavily reliant on fossil fuels contributing to greenhouse emissions.

Toxic Chemical Release: Plastic can release chemicals in the water and soil such as BPA and phthalates. These pollutants can disrupt endocrine and animal life leading to reproductive and development issues.

How we tackle these

By starting HIKEBEATS, we took a Public Sustainability Pledge in front of you, the community. This means that we make a promise to our community and to the world to apply the following:

Because this pledge is public, we will always update you, as a valued community member. This is because this pledge imposes full transparency on the progress of our mission. Moreover, because this is an extremely ambitious mission we strive to accomplish within our first years of trade, some of the things on our list are not yet met by our business. So here is what we do, and what we don’t just yet.

Actively do:

Goal #1: Use of high-quality durable fabrics in the making of our clothes. This goal is the pinnacle of Hikebeats. We spend an extensive amount of time ensuring only the highest quality garments reach your wardrobe. We cannot and will not use low standards in the making of Hikebeats garments. Not only because this is not a sustainable way to manufacture clothes. But most importantly, your satisfaction is a the core of Hikebeats. No satisfaction results in a failure from us, and that is not acceptable. Some of the things we specifically instruct and test for: thick and durable materials, strong stitching, high-quality zippers, premium long-lasting fabrics dyeing.

Goal #2: Working with manufacturers that adhere to internationally recognized environmental audit programs provided by third-party independent bodies. We only work with manufacturers who have passed programs such as GRS and FSC and have been audited by independent bodies. This way we ensure that your Hikebeats garments have been manufactured by collaborators that care about the environment as must as we do.

Don’t do just yet, but will do soon enough:

Goal #3: Use recycled materials: At the time of writing this 27 Oct 2024 we do not do this just yet. You will notice on our first product “Skyline Sherpa Fleece Jacket Oversized” that it is made of 100% polyester. The following is not an excuse, and nothing can account for the use of extra plastic, but hopefully it will provide a reasonable explanation for why we are not using recycled polyester just yet: For the first Hikebeats product, sherpa fleece jacket, we wanted to use recycled polyester. We contacted over 20 different manufacturers asking for this fabric, none of them could accommodate a low minimum order quantity (MOQ). As a self-funded startup, a high MOQ is a risk we cannot mitigate at this point in time. However, this will change in the following year, as more and more products will be launched. The revenue stream will open the doors to high MOQs, which in turn, enables the use of recycled poly and other sustainable fabrics. This might not happen with the second or third product, but it will happen! This is a promise from us: Sabina Furnica and Iulian Oana.

Our journey doesn’t end here

Besides collaborating with environmental friendly factories and only using sustainable fabrics, our mission doesn’t end here. We have a plan to implement re-forestation initiatives with each order. In collaboration with you, we will plant a tree for each order placed on our store.

Furthermore, our long-term vision is to organise environmental activities such as: litter picking across the UK. This would help the teams that already keep our nature tidy, by giving them a few extra pairs of hands.

How you could help

Purchase from environmental friendly stores And quality clothes

HIKEBEATS has made a pledge to this wonderful community to put our environment at the forefront of every business decision. Therefore, by purchasing from us you not only ensure you do your part, but the high quality of the clothes will ensure you will not need to change it for a long time.

Secondly, sign-up to our email list and you will receive notifications when we plan on organising environmental activities.