The environment matters to us

Innovation is at the forefront of our company; this ethos is not limited to our products, but extends to how we conduct our business as a whole. We are passionate about reducing our impact on the environment; using sustainable and recycled materials in our products where ever possible; ensuring a sustainable supply chain; fair labour practices; and paving the way forward for other businesses to follow.

Creating world-leading innovative performance products that are sustainable and responsibly produced is a challenge, but one we are committed to winning. One of the ways we address this is to create products that last – durability being a key concern in our conceptualisation, design and manufacturing process. Nothing demonstrates this more than our pioneering development of graphene-enhanced footwear. Graphene - the world’s strongest material – has been infused in the rubber outsoles of our shoes, making them tougher and more durable than any other soft rubber outsoles on the market.

SUSTAINABILITY WORKING GROUP

As a business we are conscious that, in order to achieve our goals, we need to continually revise and improve our activities to ensure we keep sustainability at the forefront of our activities and that we have the lowest environmental impact possible. We’ve set up a Sustainability Working Group (SWG) that are tasked to investigate every aspect of our business, identifying key areas where we can improve and practical steps to do so.

SUPPLY CHAIN

We pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with suppliers who share our values. Each of our suppliers are individually selected to ensure they share the same high ethical standards and that they are committed to creating the best product with the least possible impact on the environment. We ensure our suppliers abide by our Code of Conduct – integrating principles of sustainability into all business decisions; the responsible use of natural resources; the reduction, minimisation and where-ever possible, the avoidance of pollution and waste; and the manufacturing of products according to the principals of sustainability.

MATERIALS

For our apparel and equipment lines, we pay careful attention to the way our textiles are produced, and that the treatments and processes used are as environmentally friendly as possible. We incorporate recycled materials into as many of our products as we can, with our Autumn/Winter 2019 Collection seeing the introduction of our first base and mid-layers made from recycled technical fabric, created by recycling 500ml PET plastic bottles and turning them into a polyester yarn.

In footwear we continue to innovate and create world-leading products with sustainability in mind. Our INOV8 rubber outsoles are made up of 15%-20% recycled rubber, while our pioneering graphene-enhanced (G-GRIP™) rubber outsoles offer outstanding durability. We will be rolling these outsoles out across more products in our footwear line in the coming years and are moving towards incorporating graphene across the INOV8 product range with a key focus being on the durability of the material and in creating products built to last.

LABOUR

Passionate people are at the core of our brand. We believe in choosing the right employees who share our commitment and passion to building a sustainable future. We invest in our people, offering development opportunities and support, encouraging them to make changes to reduce their environmental impact both in the workplace and in their home life. Staff travel has accounted for the largest proportion of inov-8’s carbon footprint; we are addressing this by minimising the number of international trips and actively encouraging our staff to carshare, or where possible, cycle or run into work. We provide shower and storage facilities to enable them to do this with ease.

We ensure our chosen suppliers, their partners and subcontractors take a similar approach; abiding by our Code of Conduct to ensure fair working conditions and a commitment to improving environmental performance.

ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL STEPS

  • Renewable Electricity: INOV8 will be investigating the possibility of using electricity that comes from 100% renewable sources for our office and warehouse facilities.
  • Reduction of freight impact: Only urgent samples are transported by air. We have reduced road freight by shipping directly from the factories to the nearest local seaport.
  • Lean, green packaging: We use lightweight shoe boxes made from recycled materials, that are themselves recyclable. We keep print on the boxes to a minimum and make responsible choices with the ink used. We reuse bulk boxes in the warehouse.
  • Smart after-sales. Any shoes that are returned to shops (and we don't get many) are assessed using digital photography wherever possible. This saves time, transportation and postage and therefore reduces CO 2 emissions.
  • Minimising materials wastage: We use efficient patterns which reduce the off-cuts of materials. Any waste we do have, wherever possible, gets recycled and used in the manufacture of children’s footwear.
  • Recycling: In our office, paper and card are recycled along with the shoe boxes, of course.

PARTNERSHIPS

INOV8 are proud to support Fix The Fells as a local charity. Fix The Fells cares for the Lake District's fell and mountain paths. Its rangers and volunteers work tirelessly to protect the spectacular Lakeland fells from erosion by repairing and maintaining more than 250 upland paths.

Find out more information

We also partner with various other organisations, such as ShoeAid and ReRun.