SUSTAINABILITY, WILDERNESS, NATURE, ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, GRASSROOTS, LOCAL, INNOVATION, AUTHENTICITY, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY, CONNECTION, KOOTENAYS, SUSTAINABILITY, WILDERNESS, NATURE, ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, GRASSROOTS, LOCAL, INNOVATION, AUTHENTICITY, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY, CONNECTION, KOOTENAYS
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Re-Hub is KORE’s circular gear initiative focused on repair, reuse, and redesign. We’re helping the outdoor gear industry shift away from single-use thinking by keeping products in play longer. Through repair clinics, upcycling workshops, community gear swaps, and collaborations with designers, Re-Hub helps reduce waste and create new value from old gear.
It’s about building a regional culture of repair that supports makers, benefits users, and lessens our footprint. Whether you’re a gear junkie, a product developer, or someone with a pile of busted zippers, Re-Hub helps close the loop—locally.
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The KORE Re-Hub Gear Repair Tour is visiting 12 locations across the Kootenays this summer to bring repair technicians and a fully equipped trailer to community events. Whether it’s a torn jacket or a busted pack, we’ll help mend your gear so it can keep going and stay out of the landfill.
Hard goods, like ski equipment, can be brought to six of the locations (Revelstoke, Castlegar, Nelson, Kimberley, Cranbrook, and Invermere) for transport to Selkirk College’s Technology Access Centre where they’ll be assessed for repair.
To promote sustainable and environmentally conscious gear use, KORE is embarking on a repair tour in the summer of 2025. The goal is to make damaged outdoor gear usable again and prevent it from entering landfills, from soft goods like jackets and backpacks, to hard goods such as ski equipment and camp stoves.
The outdoor recreation industry, a $15 billion contributor to British Columbia’s economy, faces a critical sustainability challenge with both soft and hard goods. Less than 1% of materials in outdoor clothing and gear—from jackets and tents to skis and climbing equipment—are recycled, with 85% ending up in landfills, persisting for centuries due to their complex, synthetic compositions.
The outdoor recreation industry, valued at $887 billion globally[1] and contributing $15 billion annually to British Columbia’s economy[2], faces a critical sustainability challenge. While 76% of BC residents engage in outdoor activities[3], the industry’s growth comes at a significant environmental cost.
Less than 1% of materials in outdoor clothing are recycled, with 85% ending up in landfills or incinerators[4]. Modern gear, designed for high performance, often incorporates synthetic materials and toxic “forever chemicals” like PFAS, which can persist in the environment for centuries, releasing harmful microplastics and pollutants[5].
The complex, multi-material construction of items such as ski jackets and skis further hinders recyclability, with each pair of skis generating approximately one ski’s worth of waste and typically lasting only 125 days of use[6], yet their materials persist in landfills for centuries.
However, solutions are emerging: extending a product’s life by just nine months can reduce its environmental impact by 20-30%[7], and initiatives like the Re-Hub are addressing this by focusing on technical repairs, upcycling, and community education.
These efforts, combined with rising consumer demand for sustainable products[8], offer hope for transforming the industry’s approach to gear lifecycle management, turning potential waste into valuable, reusable resources and starting to create circularity in the system by encouraging manufacturers to design for reuse.
The program is powered by a collaborative network of partners, including Selkirk Innovates. “It’s a privilege to contribute to Re-Hub’s mission through the pilot project of hardgoods gear repair,” says Selkirk College Instructor Shawn Curran. “It’s our aim to better understand the potential business opportunities for outdoor gear repair in the Kootenays.”
College of the Rockies (COTR) is another key partner. “We are proud to support the KORE Re-Hub tour with a sustainable business practices inventory and study,” says Paul Tiege, COTR’s Manager of Applied Research and Innovation. “We are also happy that our Mobile Education Lounge is playing a key role as the mobile repair hub.”
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KORE Outdoors gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia and Alacrity Canada through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. We also thank these funders for helping make the Re-Hub program possible: ETSI-BC and 1% for the Planet with donations from Gear re-Store, PBJ Merch Co, and Autogrowth Inc.
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What started as a small repair facility in Reno has evolved into a global movement for gear sustainability. Patagonia’s Worn Wear Program revolutionized the concept of used outdoor gear by offering repairs, resale, and their innovative ReCrafted collection. By providing store credit for used gear, they’ve created a circular system that keeps equipment in use longer while building a community of environmentally conscious outdoor enthusiasts.
From their Vancouver headquarters, Arc’teryx launched the ReBird Program to extend the life of technical gear through expert assessment, cleaning, and repairs. The program’s innovative approach includes transforming materials from beyond-repair items into new products, demonstrating that even the most technical outdoor gear can have multiple lives while maintaining high performance standards.
NEMO Equipment transformed the traditional warranty model into a sustainability initiative that keeps gear in the field longer. Their Certified Pre-Owned program professionally inspects and repairs used gear before offering it at accessible price points, creating a reliable marketplace for pre-owned outdoor equipment while maintaining NEMO’s commitment to quality.
Please take 2 minutes to fill out this Outdoor Gear Survey about your repair habits and preferences. Your responses will help shape the KORE Re-Hub Project and build a more sustainable outdoor gear industry in the Kootenays.
Every response with a valid email and name is entered to win a Durston X-Dome 1+ ultralight tent, valued at $530.
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KORE Re-Hub is founded with a mission to reduce waste by repairing outdoor gear.
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The first official Re-Hub Tour is planned, setting up repair stops across the Kootenays.
Successful repair events held in Nelson, Fernie, and Revelstoke, saving hundreds of items from landfills.
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Due to high demand, the Re-Hub tour expands to more locations, including Golden and Kimberley.
Collaboration with outdoor brands, retailers, and repair experts strengthens the initiative.
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Plans for wider reach, more repair stops, and integrating education on sustainable outdoor gear use.
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KORE Re-Hub is founded with a mission to reduce waste by repairing outdoor gear.
The first official Re-Hub Tour is planned, setting up repair stops across the Kootenays.
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Successful repair events held in Nelson, Fernie, and Revelstoke, saving hundreds of items from landfills.
Due to high demand, the Re-Hub tour expands to more locations, including Golden and Kimberley.
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Collaboration with outdoor brands, retailers, and repair experts strengthens the initiative.
Plans for wider reach, more repair stops, and integrating education on sustainable outdoor gear use.
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We’re not stopping at mobile repair events. Our vision is to establish an industrial outdoor gear repair facility—a permanent hub where:
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Larger-scale repairs can be handled year-round.
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Sustainable manufacturing and upcycling initiatives can take place.
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More communities can access expert gear restoration services.
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