Exped

Last year, Swiss outdoor brand Exped set an ambitious target to rid its products of PFAS, the human-made “forever chemicals” commonly used to make materials stain- and water-repellent. But leaders at the company determined that goal was unachievable because of how ubiquitous those substances have become. So instead, they opted for radical transparency: New Exped gear comes with a disclaimer stating that “it cannot be completely ruled out that a product may contain traces of these chemicals.” At the same time, the brand’s up-for-anything backpacks, sleeping bags, and camping gear do come with green cred: The fabrics, buckles, and zippers are certified by either Bluesign or Oeko-Tex, which set environmental-impact standards. Then there’s the company’s own ethos, which is all about encouraging consumers to buy less, says Ted Steudel, president of Exped USA. “Our goal is to put out a product that lasts a long time,” he explains. “We’re not fast fashion.” —Elaine Glusac

Oway USA

“A post-plastic world is what we’re after,” says Sharon Nykaza, managing director of Oway USA. Launched in 2000, the chic beauty brand is part of a family-owned company that dates back to 1948; it still sources many ingredients from its own biodynamic farm near Bologna, Italy. To cut out difficult-to-recycle waste, Oway began packaging its products in aluminum and glass in 2013. They can now be found in more than 450 locations in the U.S., including salons and spas. “Sometimes you have to do things that aren’t easy,” Nykaza says. “Hopefully, a couple decades from now, more companies will be doing this.” —Hannah Selinger

BioLite

Gear maker BioLite specializes in whiz-bang camping stoves, including one model that can harness fire to generate electricity, as well as string lamps and lanterns built for the outdoors. That recreational equipment helps support the company’s bigger mission: to distribute low-cost, fuel-efficient stoves and solar-and-battery power systems to people across Africa who might not otherwise be able to afford them. “We’ve built a company around solving issues of energy access,” says Jonathan Cedar, cofounder and CEO. He’s quick to point out that BioLite isn’t a charity, but rather a social enterprise. “Our recreation market gives us the stability to solve these longer-term problems.” —E.G.

Citizen

As the first mainstream watches to be powered exclusively by light, Eco-Drive timepieces from Citizen were something of a revolution when they launched in 1976. The brand took another leap forward in the 1990s, when innovations in solar technology allowed for Eco-Drive watches with a sleek, high-end look. Today, around 85 percent of the company’s lineup is powered by both natural and artificial light, including signature pieces like the new 37mm Promaster Dive. That’s helped eliminate the need for disposable button-cell batteries, says Susan Chandler, a Citizen executive. “We are not putting batteries in landfills, and that is an important cornerstone of our brand,” she notes. Another way Citizen is investing in renewables? As a member of the philanthropic group 1% for the Planet, the brand funds the work of Everybody Solar, an organization that helps nonprofits install clean energy systems. —H.S. 

Port Ellen

Scotch has seen its popularity rise and fall, and in 1983, during one particularly fallow period, Port Ellen, a distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Islay, closed its doors. The brand had been mainly used in blends, and whisky lovers didn’t consider its single malts to be worthy of aging. Yet a small amount of the whisky survived, says Ewan Gunn, the Global Brand Ambassador for Diageo, the global beverage company that now owns Port Ellen, as well as brands such as Johnnie Walker and Lagavulin. “What we discovered is that, once it’s 30 or even 40 years old, it evolves into something truly spectacular,” Gunn says. That realization led the company to reimagine Port Ellen as a high-end, small-batch brand. 

Diageo also saw an opportunity to reboot distillery operations, including the installation of super-efficient cooling systems powered by green energy. And while water is essential when it comes to making scotch, the use of that resource is scrupulously monitored. “We’re constantly looking at how we can push the boundaries,” Gunn says of the facility, which reopened to the public in 2024. “Diageo is the biggest player in the industry, so it’s right that we should be leading the way whenever we can.” As for how these cutting-edge techniques enhance the whisky, only time will tell. —H.S.