Environmental projects will benefit from the 'Green Friday' scheme. Photo: Angela Compagnone/Osprey Europe
Some of Europe’s biggest outdoor brands are using Black Friday to raise cash for conservation causes.
Seventeen members of the European Outdoor Conservation Association are taking part in the organisation’s Green Friday fundraiser.
Eight are running promotions through their own websites while others have donated items to Outdoor Gear For Good, a not-for-profit company that supports the work of EOCA.
EOCA joint general manager Catherine Savidge said: “As we near the end of what has been a difficult year for everyone, we are overwhelmed by the generosity of EOCA members and thrilled to have this opportunity to enable consumers to purchase some new gear for outdoor adventures while raising funds for the conservation of special habitats around the world.
“Ending the year with such a positive, collaborative effort, with so many companies involved, reminds us that the EOCA membership remains truly committed to giving back to the great outdoors at all times.”
- Deuter will be donating 10 per cent of all online sales from its website over the Black Friday weekend
- Gregory will be donating 20 per cent of online sales via its website for the week of 23-30 November
- Keen is holding a ‘You buy, We donate’ fundraiser from 20-30 November, with €10 from each purchase being donated to an EOCA-managed project, or two other charities
- La Sportiva will be donating 40 per cent of all sales from its website over the Black Friday weekend
- Montane will donate €5,000 to EOCA as an alternative to traditional Black Friday marketing spend
- Osprey will donate 20 per cent from all sale from its website over the Black Friday weekend
- Vaude: in addition to the listed Green Friday fundraisers, Vaude will be hosting an Advent fundraiser on 5 December when the company will donate 10 per cent of all sales via its website to EOCA
- Cumulus will be holding an online ‘garage sale’ for a large number of items, with 100 of sales being donated.
Two UK schemes will benefit from EOCA’s funding of six projects this year. The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s plastic-free woodlands initiative will see redundant plastic tree tubes, which are disintegrating and polluting the countryside, removed from an eight-hectare area and used for recycling. The trust will also trial alternatives to the plastic guards.
Clear the Bay by Day, by the Morecambe Bay Partnership will involve the organisation working with sporting groups in an effort to remove single-use plastic, including an increasing amount of personal protective equipment, in clean-up events along 210km of beach, cycle paths and trails.
Brands have donated stock to be sold on the Outdoor Gear For Good eBay shop to raise cash for EOCA’s projects.
- Berghaus has donated a range of packs and clothing
- Craghoppers has donated a number of different jackets
- Lowe Alpine has donated a range of packs and accessories
- Nikwax has donated a range of cleaning and proofing products
- Ortlieb has donated some waterproof rucksacks
- Osprey has donated a range of packs
- Pajak has donated sleeping bags and mittens
- Salomon has donated many women’s running vests
- Stanley has donated a large number of travel mugs
- Trangoworld has donated waterproof and windproof jackets
- Ternua has donated insulated jackets.
The European Outdoor Conservation Association is funded by membership and other fundraising activities within the outdoor industry. All membership fees go to the support of projects and membership is open to anyone that can demonstrate an involvement in the European outdoor industry.
From January 2015, a select group of ‘sustaining members’ pledged their support to EOCA by committing to fund the growth of the organisation with an extra €10,000 per year over and above their annual membership fee. This money is being used to finance the running of the association and support its sustainable growth, and also enabled a move to two funding rounds per year.
The current EOCA sustaining members are: Pertex, Keen Footwear, The North Face, Nikwax, ISPO and OutDoor by ISPO and the European Outdoor Group, which is also the founder member of the association.
