HELLY HANSEN SUSTAINABILITY

It might not be that obvious when you should consider washing your garments, so here are a couple of signs to look for:

• If the water and/or rain droplets no longer bead off the surface of the jacket and start leaving a wet mark, the DWR (durable water repellency) might be worn off or deactivated.
• If the breathability does not seem to be on the same level as when you first bought your Helly Tech® garment. The fabric could be contaminated.

Always check the care label and follow the instructions there as they might be specific to that item. However, here are a few general guidelines on how to wash waterproof gear - these are not meant to replace the instructions on the care label. 

Before washing your garment, make sure to cover all these pre-procedures:

• Make sure you zip up all zippers to avoid any surface damage.
• Loosen any tightened cords.
• Open the hood if the jacket has a hidden hood.
• Wash your product with the correct water temperature and program as instructed on the care label.
• For waterproof gear, do not use standard commercial detergents. Please use Tech Wash. Tech Wash is a detergent made for waterproof products and helps preserve the functionality better than standard powder and liquid detergents. 
• Do not use fabric softeners or detergents that have softening agents, as these will reduce the fabric surface tension and will have a negative effect on the fabric performance.
• HH® advises to use a technical washing product and to follow the instructions given by that product.
• In cases where no technical washing products exist, and you only have the option of normal washing products, one can wash using very little liquid washing product with no additives (without perfume, foam or softener). A second rinse cycle with water is preferred to remove any detergents that might be left behind on the surface. It is important to remove excess detergent, as it might affect the performance of the fabric.
• After washing, you can safely tumble dry your water proof gear in order to re-activate the DWR treatment. Please always follow the garment care label for drying instructions.

Yes, Helly Hansen only source from producers who treat their animals with respect and dignity. This includes no force-feeding, no live-plucking, and no mulesing. The animals should be treated responsibly, and to ensure their welfare, we require that all our suppliers of wool, down, and leather, apply to our Code of Conduct.

We use 100% mulesing-free Merino wool and all our merino wool is ZQ certified.

Yes. To ensure that no birds are harmed in the making of our products, 100% of the down we use is fully traceable and RDS-certified.

Yes, almost all of our nonwoven insulations contain 80% post-consumer recycled polyester. We also have managed to replace around 70% of our fleece fabrics with recycled content. We are steadily increasing the volume of recycled materials every season.

Not all DWRs are created equal. Historically, most DWRs employed a long-chain (C8) fluorocarbon-based treatment whose by-products are toxic for the environment. The PFCs in DWR are both bad for the environment but also high performing (very waterproof). So, we are constantly working to create waterproof/breathable gear with limited use of DWR treatments. Some of our DWRs are C0, which means that they are PFC free and better for the environment. We are also introducing a new technology for our FW20 Collection that is waterproof/breathable without the use of DWR treatment. We will continue to innovate our technologies in order to minimize our negative impact on the environment.

It is important to wash your waterproof garment whenever needed. Washing your garments will remove contaminating substances such as oils, dirt and salts from the surface and restore the surface tension of the fabric, keeping it clean and dry which in return help the membrane perform at its best.

One of the main chemicals used in sportswear is PFAs in durable water repellent treatments (DWRs).We have developed 56% of the sportswear fabrics in PFAS-free DWR, and all kids’ products are now with PFAS-free treatments. We have also developed a new technology for our Fall/Winter 2020 Collection that is waterproof/breathable without the use of DWR, and we hope to expand more on the use of this groundbreaking technology.

Since 2008, we have been a member of bluesign® – a widely recognized and independent system that acts as a global guiding tool for the entire textile industry’s production chain. The goal is to ensure that products are produced environmentally responsibly and pose no health hazards. 92% of Helly Hansen’s fabrics used for the sports category and 60% of the fabrics used for Workwear were bluesign® approved in 2018. 25% of the trims were bluesign® approved.

At Helly Hansen, we have begun making strides for better packaging. As per today, there are no perfect solutions for achieving zero impact from packaging we rely on. From 2021, we are introducing 100% recycled content to all our polyethylene (PE) bags. All shopping bags in our retail stores are made from recycled paper.. All our hangtags are made from FSC paper and we are continuously working on reducing our use of single-use plastics and are collaborating with both partners and industry peers to improve in this area.