Jogging lighter with eco running shoes and recyclable gear

When you go outside to get some fresh air, are you actually making the air less fresh?

From mountain biking to skiing, outdoor sports do not come without an energy burden. Even running, a sport without a massive energy-consuming infrastructure, has consequences.

According to an analysis by Runners's World magazine (based on carbon figures from Green Design Institute and Carnegie-Mellon University), the carbon footprint of a serious runner adds up to 5,449 lbs of carbon dioxide per year.

This number includes the energy used to manufacture and transport shoes durable enough to withstand 300 to 400 miles of pavement pounding, as well as water bottles, clothing, and transport to and from races.

Some of the many energy uses include:

• 3 pair of running shoes (average number bought by a runner every year): 430 lbs CO₂
• 3 pair of synthetic socks: 89 lbs CO₂
• 2 pairs running shorts, 99 lbs CO₂
• 1 pair of running tights, 79 lbs CO₂
• 1 running shirt, 48 lbs CO₂
• 1 load of laundry to wash and dry running gear: 225 lbs CO₂ per week

Fortunately, these numbers are not fixed. In the hopes of mitigating how much carbon each runner consumes, many sporting goods companies are rethinking how they make their products.

Efficiency, using less material

Reducing how much material is used per item is an easy first step.

Brooks recently designed a new, lightweight shoebox made from 100-percent recycled paperboard. While maintaining its strength, the shoebox weighs 13 percent less than the company's previous version. Overall, this saves the environment 1,680,617 lb. of paper, 14,285 trees, and 3,361,233 kW of energy, enough to power 672,246 homes.

Designing out toxicity, bio-mimicry

Rocky Mountain Institute promotes the concept of bio-mimicry, producing products to mimic nature's processes. With bio-mimicry, manufacturing goods doesn't require toxic chemicals or inputs. For example, many newspaper and publishing companies have already replaced oil-based inks with soy ink, which has far fewer volatile organic compounds.

Companies like Brooks appear to be following the same path. Brooks recently introduced the BioMoGo, a midsole that biodegrades at a significantly faster rate than traditional synthetic midsoles. According to the company, the BioMoGo contains a "non-toxic, natural additive that exponentially increases the rate of bio-degradation by encouraging anaerobic microbes to break down nutrients into reusable byproducts."

Brooks' creative bio-mimetic design allows the shoes to biodegrade in about 20 years in a landfill, as opposed to traditional midsoles that take hundreds of years.

Recycling, closing the loop

Reusing materials in order to avoid extracting virgin resources again and again is another major aim of sustainability initiatives.

Along those lines, Patagonia developed its clothing recycling program, Common Threads, to take back and recycle its polyester Capilene baselayer, an underlayer often worn by outdoor athletes.

Using a process called ECOCIRCLE, the recycled polyester garments are granulated into small pellets, broken down to their molecular level, purified, then reconstituted back into polyester thread that can be woven into new garments.

Detailed environmental analysis shows that this process results in 76 percent energy savings and a 71 percent reduction in greenhouse gases versus manufacturing Capilene from new raw material.

Similarly, Nike now collects used shoes and incorporates them into sports surfaces like basketball courts and tracks.

Plenty of exciting developments around sporting goods and running accessories are afoot.

Next time you make a purchase to support your athletic habits, think beyond your own fitness, and consider our planet's health as well.

Betsy Herzog is Rocky Mountain Institute's Knowledge Manager.