In addition to product brochures and posters, many brands do not take the issue of sustainability that seriously. It looks different with Prana. The Americans do everything in their power to make their products and their production as sustainable as possible. We spoke to Rachel Lincoln about the social and environmental engagement of Prana.
Anyone who visited the world's largest outdoor trade fair ISPO in Munich in spring and summer, noticed something: sustainability is omnipresent. More and more manufacturers have dedicated themselves to the topic in the recent past. A brand that has not been at the heart of the topic since Greta Thunberg is Prana. We talked to Prana sustainability officer Rachel Lincoln and took a closer look at the brand.
Interview with Rachel Lincoln from Prana
LACRUX: Prana is considered a particularly environmentally friendly brand. How did that happen?
Rachel: Sustainability is in our DNA. Before 27, Pam and Beaver Theodosakis sewed eco-friendly clothes in their garage, put labels of recycled paper on them, and shipped the finished products in old fruit crates - that's how Prana was founded. Since then, we have grown into a global brand, but we have never forgotten the core values. We respect the people who make our clothes and the planet we live on. It is our responsibility to protect people and the environment as best we can. That's what everyone at Prana works day after day.
“Sustainability is in the DNA of Prana. We were sewing clothes made from eco-friendly materials 27 years ago. "
Rachel Lincoln, sustainability manager at Prana
LACRUX: What's up with the slogan "Clothing for positive change"?
Rachel: "Positive Change" stands for continuous progress. We are aware that we are not perfect today. For us as a brand, it's about learning something new every day and setting ourselves realistic milestones. As we try to become more sustainable and realize these goals, we share our experiences with everyone involved. Whether farmer, manufacturer or consumer - our goal is to make people rethink.
LACRUX: How sustainable is your collection so far?
Rachel: The definition of sustainability is difficult. If you ask ten different brands, you probably get ten different answers. Currently, 87% of the collection is convincing with at least one sustainable attribute. Organically grown materials such as hemp or organic cotton, recycled fibers, fair trade, bluesign certification - we try to be environmentally friendly on several levels. Packaging waste also plays a big role here. We avoid plastic as much as possible. That's why 95% of our products are rolled up, fixed with a raffia tape and not sent in plastic bags. So far, we have been able to do without 17 million plastic bags.
"95% of our products are fixed with a bast band and not sent in plastic bags."
Rachel Lincoln
LACRUX: How can you reduce your ecological footprint? What tip do you have for our readers??
Rachel: Remember, it's about progress, not perfection. You do not have to change all your habits in one fell swoop. Start with little things that are easy for you. For example, a jute bag instead of a plastic bag or a bar of soap instead of the unnecessary shower-bath collection.
Diverse commitment to sustainably produced products
As Rachel honestly says in an interview, Prana is not a prodigy. Much more important than anything nice to talk about is, according to Rachel, to gradually improve. A look behind the scenes of the advertisements and product descriptions shows that the American clothing brand is very diverse in its efforts to produce sustainably produced products.
You can read about certifications such as Fair Trade Certified, Organic Cotton, bluesign, Responsible Down Standard or PFC Free in the sustainability report. At the material level, too, we discovered a raw material that Prana is processing more and more often: hemp. The fiber of the medicinal plant has long been considered scratchy and has been put in the "hippie corner". Prana does away with these prejudices once and for all.
Hemp for worlds better than cotton
There are many arguments in favor of using hemp as a raw material for garments. Already when planting hemp trumps the classic cotton. Hemp is less susceptible to moisture, more resistant to disease, provides more fiber per cultivated area and degrades more CO2 than cotton.
"The hemp fiber is much more sustainable than cotton."
Hemp is also convincing in production: on average, a t-shirt made of hemp needs about four times less water than a t-shirt made of conventional cotton (sources: Indohemp, Water Footprint Network). Further Information on the social and environmental commitment of Prana can be found on their website.
Garments made of hemp fibers
Pants Prana Mantra Joggers
Top Prana Nelly Top
T-Shirt Prana Cozy Up
