The beauty of having an outdoor clothing company? "From the start, our customers are aware of the importance of preserving the natural environment in which they practice their sports," says Alexandre Guimond, co-owner with Maxime Dubois of Altitude Sports. Ecology has therefore always been at the heart of the company's discussions, from its foundation in 1984 to its acquisition in 2011 by the duo - two former employees - until today.

Among the current projects, the  Alti Action program stands out. Twice a year, when checking out, customers can donate $15 to an environmental or social cause of their choice. The same amount is then returned to them as Altitude Sports credits. The initiative, launched six years ago, has redistributed $1 million to various pan-Canadian organizations, from Protect Our Winters to Jeunesse au soleil.

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The committed actions are also felt behind the scenes. The company has recently equipped itself with a shredder designed to transform used boxes into packaging filler, saving 13,000 rolls of paper per year.

Another innovation: the online retailer is now collaborating with Courant Plus, a fully electric delivery service for the island of Montreal. In addition to saving 45 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, to their pleasant surprise, it has proven to be more efficient than other standard shippers. "Our goal is to reconcile sustainability and the customer experience so that there is never any compromise for the consumer," explains Maxime.

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The same philosophy is shared by Vallier, a brand exclusively offered by Altitude Sports, where aesthetics, performance, and eco-design come together. In fact, 69% of the fabrics used, most of which are made in Canada, come with reputable certifications, including GOTs, Blue Sign and Responsible Wool Standard. The objective is to increase this ratio with each collection, as well as the proportion of pieces made here, which is growing.

One final project keeping the team busy these days is obtaining the highly coveted B Corp certification. The process, although complex, provides a valuable, quantifiable, and proven framework in an industry where "doing things right" is still very nebulous, according to the company. "We are always seeking to improve, and the B Corp certification helps structure and ensure the sustainability of our sustainability goals," concludes Alexandre.

The distribution of this article is made possible by the contribution of Détail Québec, the retail sectoral workforce committee.

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