This North Face Denali is made with Polartec fabric that contains 87 percent recycled materials.

We recently had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of Polartec’s 2009 Fall Line, which includes eco-friendly outdoor wear from Arc’Teryx, Athleta, Cloudveil, Lowe Alpine, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, Patagonia, Saucony and Scapegoat. Auden Schendler, executive director of community and environmental responsibility at Aspen Skiing Co. and author of Getting Green Done: Hard Truths From the Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolution (PublicAffairs, 2009), also spoke about what sustainability really means and how we often get caught up in small-time greenwashing rather than focusing on real, large-scale solutions. (Check out VIVmag‘s latest issue for a review of Schendler’s book.)

Though we were tempted to drown our global-warming worries with eco-friendly Fat Tire Amber Ale, the night’s featured beverage, we took heart at Polartec’s practices: The company has been producing fabric from recycled content for 15 years, using recycled plastic bottles that are broken down and spun into ultrasoft and warm fibers. Recycled material is now contained in 30 percent of the fabrics that Polartec supplies for fleeces, wicking workout gear and ski and snow-sport fashions.

While most of the items we spied were for autumn and winter, the new Denali jacket ($165) from The North Face is available now and saves the energy equivalent of about 0.83 gallons of gas and 33 pounds of carbon dioxide per jacket, compared with a garment made from virgin polyester.

We think it makes sense that a company that manufactures fabrics for the outdoors has the environment in mind. After all, it’s going to be hard to ski when global warming melts all the snow. What do you think — how can other businesses and industries follow Polartec’s example?

Tags: Amber Ale, Climate change, energy equivalent, Environment, Fashion, featured beverage, Global warming, Malden Mills, Materials science, plastics, Polar fleece, Polyester, Recyclable materials, Sustainability, Thermoplastics, USD, Wool