If you’re even tangentially connected to the cycling world, you’ve probably heard of Pearl iZUMi. For more than 60 years, they’ve been raising the bar for technical apparel innovation, driven to make the riding experience more comfortable, faster, and safer. In 2018, the company redefined its mission, vision, and values to align with its goals to be a responsible corporate citizen — and they’ve been making significant strides (or shall we say pedals) toward increasing the positive social and environmental impact of its brand.

Last year, we teamed up with Pearl iZUMi to transform excess jersey material into a line of upcycled cycling gear. Of the collection, Gear Junkie’s Sam Anderson shares: “If no one told me Pearl Izumi’s new collection of five cycling-specific bags was made from fabric scraps, I don’t think I would know it. Materials that make sense for the functions they’re supposed to perform in a tight suite of complementary colors define the tidy array.”

One of Pearl iZUMi’s major areas of impact has been boosting their product manufacturing standards to integrate more sustainable materials and processes. 

Social Purpose Lead Aaron Kutzner shares: “We’ve made huge changes to our product standards. Currently, products have to be made with at least 50% recycled materials to be considered sustainable. As of now, 86% of our apparel meets these criteria, and we’re on track to get to 98% by the spring of 2024.” Some of the sustainable materials they’ve incorporated are recycled poly, nylon, or merino wool, and virgin materials such as organic cotton.

Other initiatives include working with the HIGG index to measure the global warming potential of all the products they make. Their Pedal to Zero initiative lets their customers know exactly how many miles they’d need to ride their bike instead of driving a car to offset the carbon impact of the garments they buy. The company also donates time to build mountain bike trails, offers free in-house product repair, and has a goal to be a Net Zero carbon emitter by 2025.

Check out the upcycled Pearl iZUMi x Looptworks Collection.