Sustainability Without Greenwashing: What RADYS Does Differently in Practice

Sustainability is quickly promised.

A green label, a recycled material content or a single “environmentally friendly” product are often enough today to describe entire collections as sustainable. But genuine responsibility begins where measures are concrete, verifiable and designed for the long term.

The same applies to us: Manufacturing outdoor clothing requires raw materials, energy, water and transportation. It is impossible to eliminate all environmental impacts.

Our aim is therefore not to present ourselves as a perfect brand. We want to show transparently what we have already changed, where we take responsibility and which solutions we are working on together with other stakeholders.

Greenwashing starts with vague promises

Terms such as “green,” “environmentally friendly” or “sustainable” alone say little. What matters are the questions behind them:

• What specific measure was implemented?

• Does it apply to a single product or the entire collection?

• Is the impact measured?

• Are there external standards or independent partners?

• Are conflicts of interest and limitations also disclosed?

For RADYS, sustainability therefore means more than selecting individual materials. We consider the chemicals used, the manufacturing process, product lifespan and what happens to textiles at the end of their use.

Consistently PFC-free since 2014

Outdoor clothing is meant to provide reliable protection from rain, snow and wind. For a long time, fluorinated chemicals were used for the water-repellent treatment of textiles. These are often referred to as PFCs or, more broadly today, as PFAS.

The advantage of these substances is their strong water-, dirt- and oil-repellent effect. The problem: Many PFAS hardly break down in the environment and can accumulate in water, soil, animals and humans over very long periods.

That is why RADYS switched its entire collection to PFC-free water repellency as early as 2014. At a time when fluorinated finishes were still largely considered standard in the outdoor industry.

Greenpeace later listed R’ADYS as one of the smaller outdoor brands whose entire functional weather protection collection was already available without PFCs.

This decision also involves a trade-off: PFC-free treatment reliably repels water, but offers less resistance to oil. For use in mountaineering, this disadvantage is hardly relevant in most situations. For the environment, however, avoiding PFCs makes a crucial difference.

We believe that sustainability without greenwashing also means openly acknowledging such trade-offs.

bluesign System Partner: responsibility begins before the finished product

RADYS is an official bluesign System Partner. The bluesign approach does not begin with the finished garment; instead, it considers the entire textile value chain.

The focus includes:

• responsible handling of chemicals

• protecting people in production

• reduced consumption of water and energy

• lower emissions and environmental impacts

• greater transparency within the supply chain

The System Partner status includes regular assessments, supply chain analyses, and specific improvement measures. RADYS is listed as a Swiss brand in the official bluesign partner list.

It is also important to us here to make a clear distinction: A bluesign system partnership does not automatically mean that every individual product carries the “bluesign PRODUCT” label. It means that RADYS is committed to working in accordance with the system’s requirements and continuously developing its processes.

STS 2030: shared goals instead of isolated individual measures

Many challenges facing the textile industry cannot be solved by a single brand alone. That is why RADYS is a member and committed participant in Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030, or STS 2030 for short.

The program aims to make the Swiss textile and clothing industry more sustainable throughout the entire value chain. The shared goals concern four key areas:

• reducing greenhouse gas emissions

• fair wages and decent working conditions

• promoting circular business models

• more transparency for responsible purchasing decisions

The participating companies commit to the program’s goals and to regularly measuring and communicating their progress. RADYS is listed on the official website as a committed participant.

That is why membership is not merely a decorative logo for us. It creates a binding framework, enables exchange with other companies and makes progress easier to compare.

Fabric Loop: a circular economy requires an industry-wide solution

A particularly difficult issue only begins after a product has been sold: What happens to a garment when it can no longer be used?

Individual take-back campaigns are not enough to collect, sort, reuse and recycle the large quantities of used textiles in a meaningful way. This requires functioning infrastructure and a shared solution for the entire industry.

That is why, in 2024, RADYS founded the Fabric Loop association together with other Swiss textile companies and Swiss Textiles. Fabric Loop is working on a nationwide circular system that combines various strategies:

• Reuse: continue using products for as long as possible

• Repair: repair clothing and extend its useful life

• Recycle: use textiles that can no longer be worn as raw materials

The system is to be financed, among other things, through an advance recycling or circularity contribution.

RADYS is not just a founding member. Adrian Ruhstaller, CEO and founder of RADYS, is also involved on the board of Fabric Loop. This allows us to play an active role in developing the industry-wide solution.

Our goal is not only to make better products. We want to help ensure that textiles in Switzerland can be used for longer in the future and managed in functioning circular systems.

1% of our revenue for sustainability projects

Sustainability projects require not only good intentions, but also financial resources.

That is why we invest 1% of our revenue in selected sustainability projects. The level of our commitment therefore grows directly with our company.

This decision is deliberately tied to revenue rather than to the profit generated by individual products. This ensures that sustainability does not depend on a special collection or a short-term campaign, but is firmly integrated into our business activities.

Durability remains a key factor

A product’s environmental impact is not created during manufacturing alone. It also depends on how long and how often it is used.

A garment that performs reliably, can be combined in many ways, and is worn for many years does not need to be replaced as quickly. That is why we rely on high-quality materials, functional constructions, and a modular layering system.

The individual RADYS layers are designed to be combined depending on the weather, temperature, and activity. This creates not a collection for a single use, but a system for different tours and seasons.

Proper care also helps preserve the performance and lifespan of outdoor clothing. Regular washing according to the care instructions, targeted reactivation of the water-repellent treatment, and minor repairs can prevent an otherwise intact product from being replaced prematurely.

What RADYS does differently

Our approach to sustainability can be reduced to five points:

1. Since 2014, we have avoided PFC-containing water-repellent treatments throughout our entire collection.

2. As a bluesign System Partner, we work towards more responsible materials and production processes.

3. As a member of STS 2030, we are committed to shared, measurable industry goals.

4. As a founding member and board member of Fabric Loop, we actively help shape the Swiss textile circular economy.

5. We invest 1% of our revenue in sustainability projects.

None of these measures can solve all the challenges facing the textile industry on its own. Together, however, they create tangible changes that go beyond a green label.

Not perfect. But committed.

Sustainability is not a state that a company eventually reaches in full. It is an ongoing process of decisions, investments, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

We will therefore not claim that we have already reached our destination. Our promise is a different one: We want to take our responsibility seriously, clearly outline our specific measures, and work together with strong partners on solutions that have a long-term impact.

Because anyone who loves the mountains should not only develop clothing for them. They should also help preserve them for generations to come.