Recycled aluminum in climbing hardware and trekking pole production is now trailblazing, thanks to Black Diamond Equipment and UL Solutions. The duo is raising the bar for sustainable practices.
Black Diamond Equipment®, a leading name in the outdoor industry, is making waves with its commitment to sustainability. The company's CEO, Fiske, has expressed a determination to push the boundaries of sustainability and inspire others to follow suit.
Black Diamond's sustainability claims have been independently validated to meet the highest industry standards, setting a new benchmark for the outdoor industry. The company is working with UL Solutions to reduce the environmental impact of aluminum, its most used material in hardgoods manufacturing.
By using recycled aluminum in their products, Black Diamond reduces its annual consumption of virgin aluminum by approximately 88 tons. This recycled aluminum is used in all Black Diamond carabiners and is a key component in their Trail, Trail Cork, and Trail Back Trekking Poles, as well as Pursuit FLZ, Distance FLZ, and Distance Z Trekking Poles. These products contain 30% pre-consumer recycled aluminum, with a minimum of 14% and 16% recycled content by total finished weight, respectively.
Black Diamond is also extending product lifespans by designing its trekking poles to be more easily repairable. The company is committed to taking incremental steps towards achieving circularity in hardgoods manufacturing.
Black Diamond's work with UL Solutions is a critical step in reducing its reliance on virgin materials and lowering its carbon footprint. Approximately 10% of Black Diamond's total carbon footprint from raw materials comes from aluminum-based hardgoods.
As of 2025, Black Diamond's initiative validating recycled aluminum content in key product lines appears to be a unique approach within the outdoor industry. While the aluminum industry itself is active in expanding recycling efforts, no other outdoor companies have publicly validated the recycled aluminum content in their products to the extent that Black Diamond has.
However, Black Diamond's ambitious sustainability goals for 2030 include reducing its carbon footprint by 50% and ensuring 50% of its products are made from preferred materials. The company is also working on a new spare parts program to help customers maintain their gear and reduce waste.
Products featuring the UL Solutions Environmental Claim Validation Mark will begin reaching consumers early 2025. This marks a significant step forward in Black Diamond's mission to lead the outdoor industry in sustainability.
- Black Diamond's collaboration with UL Solutions in recycling aluminum not only reduces its carbon footprint but also sets a new standard in the outdoor industry, merging science and environmental-science with technology to create sustainable lifestyle products.
- As the outdoor industry looks towards the future, Black Diamond's commitment to using recycled materials, extending product lifespans, and implementing a spare parts program, demonstrates that the company's gear guides are not just about performance, but also about sustainability and circularity.
