New Zealand-based outerwear brand Icebreaker says it has nearly reached its goal of being totally plastic-free.
The company released its 2024 sustainability report, which revealed Icebreaker achieved 97.56 percent plastic-free fiber usage across its entire line, up from 84 percent in 2018. Eighty-percent of Icebreaker’s product line is now plastic-free, excluding trims and decorations.
A major part of Icebreaker’s push toward plastic-free products is its use of wool. The company reported that 80.75 percent of the fibers it uses are merino wool, with 100 percent RWS-certified and 93 percent ZQ-certified. And 79.98 percent of that wool is sourced from ZQRX farms.
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“When I visit the stations where we source our wool and meet the 500-plus growers committed to regenerative agriculture, I’m reminded of why we do what we do,” said Jan Van Mossevelde, global brand president, Icebreaker. “We’re actively working toward having all our wool sourced from stations adhering to ZQRX standards, with nearly 80 percent of our suppliers currently in compliance.”
Aside from wool, Icebreaker said its products are made up of 16.81 percent of other plastic-free fibers and 2.44 percent synthetics, including plant-based elastane.
Last year, Icebreaker launched two fully plastic-free garments—the 200 and 400 RealFleece Descender—as well as 100 percent plastic-free T-shirts made with merino wool and Tencel Lyocell fibers.
At the farm level, Icebreaker donated $30,000 to a regenerative grazing project across its merino wool farms, to help improve soil health. The project includes partnering with Agronomics to support growers through monitoring, implementing and customizing regenerative farming practices on their farms. Additionally, multi-species pasture mixes will be tested alongside current land management methods to compare results.
Through its parent company VF Corporation and its VF Foundation, Icebreaker also teamed with Protect Our Winters to support a white paper and documentary film highlighting the effects of climate change and melting glaciers.
For 2025, Icebreaker estimates that it will achieve 98.7 percent plastic-free fabric usage across its entire line. And the company also plans to launch several new petrochemical-free products such as Featherlight, Oasis+ Suit and RealFleece Classic Pile.
“Transparency isn’t a nice-to-have, instead it’s literally woven into the fabric of our brand,” Van Mosseveide said. “As we reflect on our journey towards a more natural way of living, we are proud to share the highlights and progress we’ve made this year. We believe that transparency builds trust, the foundation of meaningful change.”
