Slow and Sustainable

The landscape of British Columbia defines so much of what we love about our home. It is not merely the backdrop to our lives, but is woven into what we do and who we are. It's the gift of being able to run along the lake in late fall, or speed down the mountains on our skis in February, or be back out golfing again by spring. It's the privilege of leaving the shoreline and exploring the water by paddleboard in summer. This natural world we're lucky enough to inhabit matters a lot to us - and preserving it for generations to come matters too. 

At Okanagan Lifestyle, we incorporate sustainability into everything we do. As a small business, how we contribute to the world we want to live in is never far from our minds. In the last few years, we've made substantial and meaningful changes in our products to make our business more sustainable - from partnerships, to manufacturing, to fabrics, to recycled materials. We've also made the decision to create small-batch collections in order to slow the process of consumption and be thoughtful about what we make to ensure quality, long-lasting, and worthwhile products that add to and support the adventurous lives of our community.

We are Canadian-made and our products are too.

To show you just want we mean, we wanted to share with you two great examples of the sustainable journeys of two of our most popular products: the Classic Crewneck and our OKGN Recycled Glass.

The Classic Crewneck

Journey's are important to us, that's why we consciously chose the production and manufacturing journey of our iconic Classic Crewnecks to be a Canadian one. Working with a manufacturer that prioritizes environmental stewardship and socially conscious practices, our Classic Crew is made up of 50/50 Ring Spun Poly/Cotton fleece fabric, all knitted, dyed, and sewn in Canada. Nothing is wasted in the process of its creation and no toxic chemicals are used to make it. I don't know about you, but to us that's a huge relief and makes decision-making so much easier.

This might just be the coziest sweater you'll ever wear, but it will also last you through the changing seasons and years without sacrificing the environment that we love. 

The OKGN Recycled Glass

One of our newer products, our OKGN recycled glass, may also be our coolest! These rad glasses are made from discarded plastics scooped out of our local waterways and given new life. The process involves breaking down the plastics to reform it and recycle it into something new. We work with a Okanagan-based business to make that happen and it's an undeniably cool thing to watch. But knowing how much you, our customers, really love these beauties, is the cherry on top. Made in small-batches, we'll keep putting them in to production and protecting our environment from plastic litter one cup at a time. 

Written by our OKGN writer-in-residence, Nicole Gerber @nicole.etc

Okanagan Lifestyle respectfully acknowledges that our community is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan, Secwepemc, and Ktunaxa Nations.