May 2, 2023 100% Recyclable, Mono-Polymer Sleeping Bag

US-based outdoor gear company Nemo shares its 2022 sustainability report, and announces its first fully recyclable mono-polymer sleeping bag.

Nemo has created its first recyclable sleeping bag with the updated Forte Men’s and Women’s 20F/35F series. It is also the first product in Nemo’s Endless Promise series, which represents a key step toward the brand’s goal to cut emissions intensity in half by 2030. With this new collection, Nemo is taking responsibility for the entire life cycle of each product. Every Endless Promise item is designed to be repairable, resellable, and — most crucially — recyclable to keep it out of the landfill.

To make an immediate impact with this collection, Nemo took its existing top-selling, 3-season Spoon shape synthetic sleeping bag and redesigned it using just a single material family. Now 100% recyclable, the 2023 Forte is a standout in sustainability as well as comfort and performance.

• The Classic Spoon shape continues to be a game changer for side sleepers, offering more room at the shoulders and knees for a less-constricted feel.
• Upgraded Thermo Gill vents feature a new multistage zipper system that dramatically increases the usable temperature range of the bag and allows for fine-tuning of comfort.
• Oversized Blanket Fold insulated draft collar provides comfort and temperature regulation.
• Integrated pillow pocket perfectly fits Nemo’s Fillo pillow or extra clothes.
• Full-length double-slider YKK zipper with plow makes getting in and out a breeze.
• A material suite including: Recycled liner; Bluesign approved shell fabric; and Zerofiber PCR insulation (made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials)that packs down small while maintaining loft and warmth, even when wet.

Mono-polymer design for easy recycling

Endless Promise is Nemo’s commitment to reduce resource consumption and keep gear out of the landfill. All Endless Promise products are painstakingly designed to be mono-polymer in order to be easily, fully recyclable at the end of their usable life. The new line of Forte bags can be sent to Nemo for resale or recycling; customers will receive a Nemo gift card for the resale value if the bag is in good enough condition for a new owner or, if the bag has reached the end of its adventures, a $20 Nemo gift card as thanks for recycling. Nemo has partnered with Unifi, a leading textile recycler, to turn spent Fortes into Repreve polyester yarns so each Endless Promise product can live on, endlessly, as a new item.

“From the start, Nemo has produced only products that deserve their place in the world by being truly different and better than what already exists,” said Nemo CEO and founder, Cam Brensinger.

“We do this because we’re hyper-aware of the resources required—and waste created—by manufacturing. In our earliest years, we introduced the ‘Ditto’ program, which upcycled production samples and manufacturing rejects turned into (now, highly coveted) wallets and totes. In 2009, we also launched the first recycled fabric tent with bamboo poles. With our Endless Promise Collection, we’re not just being mindful, we’re taking 100% responsibility for our products, long after they’re sold.”

The updated Forte Men’s and Women’s bags are available on Nemo’s site now and will be at retailers worldwide in June 2023.

Nemo has also just published its first annual Sustainability Report recapping the brand’s efforts in 2022 towards its goal of cutting its emissions intensity in half by 2030. Through key areas—Design & Innovation, Responsible Sourcing, Carbon Accountability, Advocacy for People and the Planet, and Corporate Governance—Nemo is using Science Based Targets to reach its goal and create products that are not only better for the planet, but superior in performance.

Photos: Forte sleeping bags zipped together (Nemo)