Snow Peak, Inc., founded in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture in 1958, is a premier outdoor equipment manufacturer in Japan.
With emphasis on activities to protect the environment, Snow Peak began a partnership in July 2018 with JEPLAN, INC. (Japan Environment PLANning), a company engaged in the development and production of recycled fibers and various recycling projects. In May 2019, the Snow Peak “BRING T-shirt” was launched as their first jointly developed product. In October that same year, "HQ WHOLEGARMENT," which uses yarn spun from the company's recycled polyester resin, was released as their second product, and both have been well received. SHIMA SEIKI's WHOLEGARMENT knitting machine has contributed to the development of high quality products that are friendly to both people and the environment.

Re-cycling discarded clothing into yarn; then back to knitwear

"In the modern world of mass production and mass consumption, about 1 million tons of clothing are discarded in Japan each year. As a manufacturer that values the long-term relationship that forms between the equipment it produces and its users, Snow Peak was compelled to act on their sincere wish to change this situation. From that was born the aforementioned "BRING T-shirt" and "HQ WHOLEGARMENT" as well as the "SNOW PEAK ReCYCLE PROJECT."

"SNOW PEAK ReCYCLE PROJECT" is a recycling process that collects tents and clothing, separates the polyester, refines it, spins it to form new yarn at the JEPLAN factory, and begins new life as clothing at the Snow Peak factory. The raw material is used to produce WHOLEGARMENT knitwear three-dimensionally in one entire piece without waste. With a collective conscience among people who value resources, a sustainable and organic recycling system is achieved.

1. Collection

2. Recycled polyester

3. From resin to fiber

4. To product

An excellent seam-free product that is also stress-free

Snow Peak is very satisfied with the results from installing its WHOLEGARMENT knitting machine. "The fact that we can offer recycled products and to show how they are manufactured has changed the way customers react. We believe that by showing the process that was previously hidden, more people may become more interested in recycling. The number of items being collected for recycling is actually increasing as well."

The "HQ WHOLEGARMENT" series is 100% polyester, easy to dry, and has a cotton-like texture. Because it is produced by seam-free WHOLEGARMENT knitting, it is also free of stress from seams touching the skin when worn. For the first month on sale, it has been sold at only 5 stores, but 100 pieces have already been sold (as of December 2019). In the future, the company plans to expand sales with overseas expansion in its sights.