The most sustainable waterproof is the one you already own. But when you need a new one, here's how to choose a jacket that works—and lasts—without the greenwash
You're about to spend a chunk of money on a waterproof jacket. Maybe you've already done the research – you know your 20K from your 3-layer, you've compared hoods and checked pocket sizes. But here's a question that doesn't appear on the spec sheet: what's the real cost of this jacket?
Not the price tag. The actual cost – to the people who made it, to the hillsides you'll walk on, to the rivers that run through your favourite wild places.
The good news? Making responsible choices doesn't mean compromising on performance or settling for second-best. It means asking questions before you buy.
The Jacket You Don't Buy
Here's the most sustainable jacket you'll ever own: the one already hanging in your wardrobe.
If you've got a waterproof that still works, that still fits, that you just got a bit bored of – hold up a minute. Most of a jacket's environmental impact happens before you even wear it for the first time. In the raw materials, in the manufacturing and shipping.
Using what you've already got for another year, another five years even, beats buying the most eco-friendly new jacket on the market. Every time.
Before you buy new, honestly ask yourself:
- Does my current jacket actually need replacing, or does it just need a wash and reproof?
- Could a repair extend its life? (Most tears and broken zips are fixable)
- Am I bored of it, or has it genuinely stopped working?
If at least some of these are true visit one of our Repair Stations. We have 10 stores across the country or you can send your jacket to us. Interesting fact; repairs are now one of our top selling products! No wonder we think we have one of, if not the most comprehensive outdoor clothing repair service in the UK.
If your jacket's past saving, brilliant – let's talk about what to look for. But if it's just looking a bit tired? A proper wash, a reproof treatment, and maybe a patch from a repair station might save you a few hundred quid and keep a perfectly good jacket out of landfill. If your jacket is still useable, but it is still time for a new one we get it. Just don't throw it away - donate it instead and give it a new home. Guess what? You can do that in one of our stores as well! Our Continuum Project recycles used kit and finds it a new home. Funded by the Alpkit Foundation - any new purchase you make helps fund this, its win win.
The Jacket That Lasts
Right, so you actually need a new one. The single best thing you can do for the environment is buy something you'll still be using in five years. Ten years. Twenty years, even.
This isn't about being precious with your kit. It's the opposite – it's about buying something tough enough to become properly beaten up through actual use.
What longevity actually looks like:
Emotional durability – Will you still want to wear this in three years? Does it fit well enough that you'll reach for it every time? A jacket you love gets used. A jacket you tolerate gets left behind.
Physical durability – Is the fabric tough enough for your adventures? A 30-denier face fabric might be brilliantly light, but if you're scrambling through gritstone edges twice a month, you'll be patching holes within a season.
Technical durability – Can it maintain its waterproofing with proper care? Some membranes hold up better than others over years of washing and reproofing.
Repairability – Can it actually be fixed when something goes wrong? We have built up years of practice fixing kit and we can tell you some are more repairable than others. If a £300 jacket becomes unusable because of a £5 zip failure and nobody will fix it, that's not good value for anyone.
What "Sustainable" Actually Means
It is not unusual to see "sustainable" and "eco" tagged onto everything these days. Some of it's genuine. Some of it's greenwashing. Here's how to spot the difference.
PFC-Free DWR (Durable Water Repellent)
Those long-chain PFCs – the chemicals that made water bead off your jacket were brilliant at their job. They were also toxic, didn't break down in the environment, and built up in food chains. Including ours.
The outdoor industry has shifted to PFC-free alternatives. They work. You just need to reproof them a bit more often. If a brand is still using old-school PFCs in 2026 you are in the wrong shop. One of our first jackets to go PFC free was our Definition mountaineering jacket.
Recycled Materials
Using recycled fabrics instead of virgin materials saves energy, reduces waste, and means fewer new resources extracted from the ground. Look for recycled face fabrics and linings like our Sigma waterproof jacket.
But don't get hung up on percentages. A jacket with 70% recycled content that you wear for ten years beats a 100% recycled one that falls apart in two.
Ethical Manufacturing
This one's harder to verify from a product label. What you're looking for:
- Brands that audit their own factories (and say how)
- Sign-up to things like the Ethical Trading Initiative
- Pay workers properly and on time
- Don't use forced labour or child labour anywhere in the supply chain
Some brands are transparent about this. Others dodge the question.
The Stuff Nobody Likes Talking About
Most waterproof jackets can't easily be recycled at end of life. The multiple layers, the membranes, the technical fabrics – recycling plants can't separate them. Yet.
We will be ready when that comes around.
Sigma the current gold standard
Sigma is designed with circularity in mind. It is made with a mono monomer construction. This means all components are made from the same material making the garment easier to recycle at the end of its life as it doesnt need to be broken down into separate recycling streams.
Sigma is made from 100% post consumer waste recycled polyester which itself is recyclable. Sigma's durable water repellent coating is entirely free from PFC's. Regularly wash and reproof your jacket at home to maintain its performance using Nikwax, Grangers or our own Alpkit Wash & Reproof care kits
Some of our jackets are made from recyclable materials . Some run take-back schemes where old jackets get donated rather than binned. Some are experimenting with recyclable designs.
The Bit Where Performance Actually Matters
Let's be clear: buying a "sustainable" jacket that doesn't keep you dry is pointless. You need something that works. The question is whether you need the maximum spec, or whether something mid-range would do the job just as well.
Do you actually need 30K waterproofing?
For Alpine mountaineering in winter? Absolutely. For walking the Pennine Way? Probably not. For your commute and weekend dog walks? Definitely not.
A 10K or 20K jacket looked after properly will handle the vast majority of what British weather throws at you. Buying more performance than you need doesn't make you safer – it just costs more and often uses more technical (harder to recycle) materials.
Match the jacket to what you actually do:
Think about your last ten outdoor trips. How many involved serious mountain weather? How many were multi-day expeditions? How many were actually just a few hours on your local hills?
Buy for the 80%, not the 2%. If you occasionally do something mega, you can hire specialist kit for that trip. Or borrow from a mate. Or accept that your regular jacket might not be ideal but it'll probably be fine.
The Real Questions to Ask Before You Buy
Forget the marketing for a minute. Here's what matters:
1. Will I genuinely use this for years? Not "could I" use it – will you actually reach for it? If you're buying something you're not excited about, you've already made the wrong choice.
2. Can it be repaired? Check the brand's repair policy before you buy. Some will repair anything, any brand. Some only do their own. Some don't offer repairs at all.
3. How will I look after it? Waterproofs need care. Washing, reproofing, proper storage. If you can't be bothered with that, a cheaper jacket you replace more often might actually be more honest than an expensive one you neglect.
4. What happens when it's done? Can you send it back to the brand? Donate it? Pass it on? Or will it just end up in the bin?
5. Does the brand give a damn? Look beyond the product. Does the company repair stuff? Do they talk honestly about problems, not just solutions? Do they seem like they're in it for the long haul, or just chasing trends?
The Compromise That Isn't Really a Compromise
Here's the thing: sustainable choices often look like compromises on paper. Recycled fabrics instead of virgin. PFC-free instead of maximum performance. Heavier instead of ultralight.
But in practice? You probably won't notice.
A 3-layer jacket with recycled fabrics, PFC-free DWR, and ethical manufacturing can have 20K/20K performance. That'll keep you dry on Scottish winter mountains. That'll handle multi-day backpacking trips. That'll outlast cheaper alternatives.
The "compromise" is usually just choosing 20K instead of 30K. Or buying something that weighs 400g instead of 350g. Or accepting that you'll reproof it twice a year instead of once.
If those feel like deal-breakers, fair enough – maybe you genuinely need maximum performance. But for most of us, most of the time? We wouldn't notice the difference.
Looking After What You've Got
Once you've bought something, the responsible choice is keeping it working as long as possible.
Wash it properly Not just when it's filthy. Regular washing (with proper tech wash, no fabric softener) actually helps breathability. Dirt and body oils clog the membrane.
Reproof when it needs it When water stops beading off and starts soaking in, that's your DWR failing. A bottle of reproof treatment costs a tenner and takes twenty minutes. Do it before every season at minimum.
Fix small problems before they're big ones A tiny tear now becomes a massive hole later. A slightly sticky zip becomes a completely seized zip. Most repair stations will do small fixes for free or cheap.
Store it properly Don't leave it screwed up wet in your rucksack for three weeks. Hang it up. Let it dry. Give it space in your wardrobe instead of crushing it in a bag.
Proper care sounds like hassle. But it's ten minutes here and there versus buying a new £250 jacket in three years instead of using it for ten.
When It's Time to Let Go
Eventually, even the best jacket reaches the end. The membrane fails despite reproofing. The fabric wears through. Seams give up.
Check out to see if Continuum will take it. Your old jacket might go to someone who needs it through donation programmes, or get pulled apart for materials research. Worn-out waterproofs are still useful for people sleeping rough, for community projects, or for environmental work. Just make sure they are clean.
Last resort – if it's genuinely knackered beyond any use – textile recycling. Not perfect, but better than landfill.
The Bottom Line
Making responsible choices with waterproof jackets isn't about being perfect. It's about being honest.
Honest about whether you actually need a new one. Honest about what you'll really use it for. Honest about whether you'll look after it properly.
The most sustainable jacket is the one you already own, maintained properly.
The second most sustainable jacket is one that suits your actual needs, from a brand doing right by people and planet, that you'll still be wearing in a decade.
Want to go deeper?
- Complete guide to staying dry - For technical details and performance ratings
- Care Guide - How to wash and reproof properly
- Repair Station - Where to get your jacket fixed
- Donate your old Waterproof - Find a second home for your used kit