For us snowboarders, the planet is our playing field. And to be able to keep playing on it, we must of course take care of it.

Even more than a legendary snowboard company, Burton is one of the world's most active brands in sustainable development. Because the Vermont-based company knows that preserving our environment will not only promote the longevity of its life, but also the longevity of the sport the brand worked hard to pioneer.

In addition to their talent for producing high quality snowboarding products, Burton can also be seen as a group of activists who, in their management and production process, really fight for the cause and take concrete actions that will allow your children, grandchildren and those who will follow to keep enjoying the ultimate pleasure that our planet offers us in wintertime, AKA snowboarding!

Products

The first component of Burton's sustainability efforts is within the brand’s products. It's simple, EVERYTHING is thought out to reduce the environmental impact of the company to a bare minimum. From the choice of materials to the production process through distribution and even packaging, Burton’s sustainability program covers every aspect of the subject.

Bluesign Certification

In simple terms, Bluesign is the highest standard for environmental health and safety in the textile industry. Today, nearly 80% of Burton products are Bluesign certified, which means that they have been designed to meet strict standards in terms of materials selection, quality and durability of the product as well as the respect of the man and the environment behind the product. It's easy, every time you buy a Bluesign certified product, you take a concrete action for the environmental and human development here and around the world.

Warranty and durability

All Burton products, from snowboards to jackets to everything in between, come with a solid warranty and are extremely durable. What does this mean in Burton's sustainable development plan? It's simple. A product that lasts a long time or that you can exchange if defective will allow people to not have to replace it on a regular basis and, at the same time, avoid waste of materials and over-consumption on a large scale.

At Burton, nothing is lost. Everything is transformed!

Recycling

Burton is also known for recycling and reusing materials otherwise thrown in the trash and to turn them into useful objects for the company. For example, last year, Burton was able to save nearly 75% of the boards people thrown away during the year and used them to create all sorts of things like displays, employee cards, coasters, drink holders, etc. At Burton, nothing is lost. Everything is transformed!

The playground

Burton does everything in its power to protect the environment, which of course includes the mountains where we go snowboarding. From a smart use of the energy to maximization of efficiency and even lobbying efforts at the federal and provincial levels, Burton is positioning itself as a leader in environmental efforts, especially in the fight against climate change.

Energy management

Burton's global headquarters are in Burlington, Vermont, where 100% of the energy comes from renewable sources. The goal of the brand is to reduce its energy consumption by 5% per year, which is a lot. Here is an example of Burton's efforts to improve its toxic emissions: As a significant part of their carbon footprint comes from employee transportation, the company began promoting "creative travel" by lending bikes free of charge to their employees and by encouraging carpooling.

Humanitarian and environmental partnerships

Burton is also one of the most involved company regarding humanitarian causes and non profit organisations. One of the largest donors to the Protect Our Winters (POW) project (among others), Burton works closely with members of the organization to influence, educate and inspire people to take positive action concerning climate change and conservation of our environment.

Burton also realizes the impact of taking a stand on issues that are important to them on the global level. For example, they have joined forces with the BICEP group (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy) and therefore joined a coalition of iconic brands that are fighting to make it easier for companies to have a climate change policy that makes a real difference.

The family

Burton is a family business and it shows. From within the walls of the head office to their global partners producing their goods and sharing their lifestyle, everyone counts. Because the preservation of the environment always starts with the human.

Organic culture

Burton has fostered a sustainable corporate culture from its earliest days. With the ability to bring your dog to the office, access to organic vegetable gardens for employees, free local bio kombucha, skate ramps, free DIY classes, flexible hours and closing the office on powder days, Burton is always on the look-out for its employees and can be seen as an example when it comes to outstanding working conditions.

"Women empowerment"

Burton can also be proud to be an industry leader in the women's empowerment movement. To do so, the brand organizes leadership development events for women throughout the year, specific days for women, and a leadership group that meets monthly to ensure ongoing improvement efforts to support and develop the role of women in business.

At Empire, we think it's beautiful to see a company as big as Burton doing all these efforts for a cause that touches all of us.  The best part is that the information mentioned in this article only represent a small part of Burton's actions in their search for the ultimate ​​sustainable development methods. For a closer look at the brand's positive initiatives and all the features that make Burton a sustainable development leader, we invite you to check out the video below.

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