Back in August, Columbia took the wraps off their new OutDry Extreme ECO shell, giving the world its first waterproof/breathable jacket made entirely without the use of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), and earning a Best New Gear Award in the Process.
The ECO shell breaks new ground for not only being made from 100 percent recycled material (21 recycled plastic bottles per jacket), it also uses a material that doesn’t require an additional outer fabric to help bead moisture on the surface, which in turn eliminates the need for a PFC based DWR coating. And if that wasn’t enough, designers of the jacket are using fabrics that arent dyed, which also saves 13 gallons of water for each jacket made as well.
Today, the ECO shell went on sale for the first time exclusively at REI, bringing its high level of performance and environmental responsibility to the masses, and to celebrate, Colubmia joined forces with hip-hop star Macklemore on a video that explains what PFCs are exaclty, and why they are so bad for the environment.