Back in 2010, we started the 686 RECLAIMED® Project. The goal was to motivate creative culture into upcycling reclaimed fabrics that would have otherwise been discarded. Since over 90-million tons of textile related waste is created globally every year the most responsible process is to build products to last and utilize materials already available. RECLAIMED garments are designed to both look visually unique and to use the process to uplift others. Throughout our years running this project we’ve supported various charities through donations of over 1500 of these garments and ran 686 RECLAIMED Project design contests in which selected contestants around the world competed using their sewing machines and unused fabrics.

What are RECLAIMED fabrics? We define them as leftover fabrics from the factory floor not used in our mainline production. We are getting creative by doing more with less - ensuring that these small yardage bits find a home somewhere through reclaim.

After a brief hiatus the RECLAIMED Project is back. Launching in time for Earth Day 2023 we are offering a limited edition launch of our Everywhere Hybrid Shorts built out of RECLAIMED fabrics. While these shorts will be released in a very limited edition of units (due to us already trying to run our overage as lean as possible), it is a program that 686 is leaning into hard and growing season after season as leftover fabric allows. The 686 RECLAIMED Project’s mission is simple – to change the way you think about “throw-away” items and spur the realization that these discarded materials can become something new and desirable once more.

We believe that data driven decisions paired with hard work can reduce our environmental impact - so that the snow is just as deep for future generations as it is for us. Using accurate tools and data, we can measure and make decisions that reduce and offset our impact on people and the environment.