The outdoor brand Ternua has become a B Corp company after a rigorous evaluation has determined they are making a positive impact on society and the environment. The company achieved that after being evaluated in five impact areas – workers, the environment, clients, governance, and community – and they got a score of 95.7 points, well above the average for companies that are evaluated (50.9), and easily surpassing the bar of 80 points, the minimum to be certified. This recognition has come at a very special time, because this year they are celebrating their 30th anniversary.
“We’re extremely happy about this achievement and very proud, because it’s a recognition that we’re doing things the right way. It’s a milestone on a journey of continuous improvement that we started a long time ago. And, as a B Corp, we’re committed to continuing to implement the changes needed that let us get closer to our goal of becoming a better company, aligning our values with our business mission even more.” stated Jokin Umerez, the General Director of the Ternua Group, which the Ternua brand belongs to. “Since our beginnings, we’ve put more importance on how we do things than on what we do, focusing on doing things in the most ethical way possible, reducing the negative impact of our business and increasing the positive impact on our staff, society and planet. We’re enthusiastic about a motto – Change Priorities – and we have a clear purpose, which is to contribute to keeping the life cycle going, protecting, creating, advancing and returning.” added Umerez.
Since 2006, the B Movement has been promoting a change in the economic system by creating standards, policies, tools and programs that change the behavior, culture and structure of capitalism. And they have mobilized the B Company community to take collective action to face society’s most critical challenges: achieving an inclusive, fair and regenerative economy that serves everyone. To keep their certification, every three years B Companies are reevaluated according to the B Lab standards, which in turn are always evolving and improving. B Lab is the non-profit organization at the service of this global movement that aims to transform the economic system. Today, there are more than 8200 companies in 96 different countries from 162 industries that are rowing in the same direction under B Corp certification. There are only 260 in Spain. The B-Lab seal reaffirms the brand’s good work, because it unites “Companies with a Purpose” around the world that are committed to environmental, social and economic well-being.
On the other hand, Innovation and Sustainability Director Edu Uribesalgo emphasized that, “Obtaining B Corp certification is the outcome of implementing and following through on actions related with the sustainability strategy we’ve been driving through the company’s sustainability committee, which includes workers from different areas of the company. It’s a yardstick along the way and a confirmation of a shared responsibility, not just in regards to the product, but in all the organization’s areas of impact. We take on our responsibility with society and future generations, and we act accordingly.”
Committed to People and Our Local Area from the Start
Ternua was born in 1994 with the goal of designing and manufacturing technical garments for mountaineering in the most sustainable way possible. In fact, in their first collection they had fleeces made with recycled plastic bottles at a time when the textile industry was still not aware of how negative their business can be for the environment. Their commitment as a brand was to protect athletes when they do their mountain activities, at the same time they protect nature.
Their name, logo and values of adventure and nature are inspired by the history of the Basque whalers who went to Newfoundland (Ternua in Basque) in the 16th century. Nevertheless, the brand has always been committed to turning that around and championing the protection of those animals, and the year of their creation they fostered four whales (Bat, Half Moon, Navaho and Buckshot), through the WDC association.
Ternua has been taking steps in sustainable innovation by using sustainable parameters in their design and production. In 2013, they were worldwide pioneers in using recycled feathers as filling for their products. And in 2018, they were the first Spanish outdoor brand to completely eliminate PFCs (substances toxic for nature) from their water-repellent treatments.
Currently, all their products have the Commitment label, which certifies that each garment has been made with recycled or natural biodegradable materials, organic cotton or Bluesign or Oeko-Tex certified materials. Some of the materials that are recycled to make their clothes are carpets, fishing nets, plastic bottles, plastic collected from the sea, feathers, coffee grounds, wool and Latxa sheep wool, discarded clothing and walnut shells. Some of those materials have been at the center of unique projects like Redcycle, Nutcycle, Seacycle, Artileshell or Wearcycle. With those projects the brand wanted to show how discarded materials can be transformed to give them a new life by making high quality well-designed clothing with them. They also use biodegradable antibacterial treatments.
It is an international brand that is present in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. And their ambition is to make progress in circularity in the coming years. They belong to the European Outdoor Group, which includes the most important outdoor and mountain brands in the world. They are members of EOCA (European Outdoor Conservation Association), and founding members of IGOT (It’s Great Out There), which promotes outdoor activities to fight against the sedentary lifestyle to improve people’s quality of life and socialization.
They are part of the Ternua Group, the sports & fashion textile company that unites brands like Lorpen, Ternua Workwear, Astore and Loreak Mendian.
