OUR MAIN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) & ACTIONS
OUR CLIMATE STRATEGY
Our climate strategy is primarily focused on the reduction of CO2 emissions generated throughout our core business activity: the production of winter sports accessories. By “production” we mean the entire value chain, from raw material selection and design, to manufacturing processes, logistics and final distribution. By this means, our strategy relies on reducing Scope 3 emissions, emissions coming from activities across our value chain. Unlike many companies that choose to compensate for their emissions mainly through external projects or carbon setting, we have decided to focus first and foremost on direct impact. This means working on transforming our production methods and materials in order to reduce emissions at the source, rather than relying solely on indirect measures. This path is more challenging, but we believe it is also the one that can generate the most meaningful and lasting change in our industry.
UNDERSTANDING CO2 EMISSIONS
While CO2 is naturally present in the air, human activities have significantly increased its concentration, contributing to global climate disruption. We acknowledge our responsibility and are actively working to reduce our impact, one pair of gloves at a time.
SCOPE 1 – DIRECT EMISSIONS:
Scope 1 emissions come from sources directly controlled by the company, such as the combustion of fuels in company vehicles or production facilities.
SCOPE 2 – INDIRECT EMISSIONS FROM PURCHASED ENERGY:
Scope 2 emissions are associated with the consumption of purchased electricity, heat, or steam used to power our operations.
SCOPE 3 – OTHER INDIRECT EMISSIONS ACROSS THE VALUE CHAIN:
Scope 3 emissions arise from upstream and downstream activities along our value chain, including raw material production, transportation, product use, and end-of-life management.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TACKLE SCOPE 3 EMISSIONS?
Scope 3 emissions typically represent the largest share of a company’s total carbon footprint, often accounting for over 70–90% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
OUR TARGETS
2025 REACHED GOALS
By 2025, we are proud to report the following achievements in reaching environmental targets: Product sustainability: With the Fall/Winter 2026–27 collection, over 65% of the models introduced to the market are classified as Green Choice. This means that for each of these products, more than 50% of the materials used are either organic or recycled. We have successfully reduced our overall CO2 emissions, thanks to both material choices and operational improvements. Reduced environmental footprint through packaging: By transitioning from plastic to recycled cardboard hangers, we have significantly lowered our footprint in packaging. This shift has impacted approximately 300,000 units, representing a meaningful step forward in waste reduction and circularity. Responsible transportation: In the last four years, we have substantially reduced reliance on air freight. Shipments have shifted from 50% by air to 70% by sea and only 30% by air, resulting in a much smaller carbon impact from logistics.
In 2021 LEVEL felt the need to create the Green choice program. The Green choice products are made of at least 50% of recycled materials and/or organic materials (like leather, Swiss wool, merino wool and silk).
Organic Materials: LEVEL carefully selects organic materials that are durable and decompose more easily than synthetics, reducing long-term environmental damage.
Recycled Materials: By repurposing materials like plastic bottles, LEVEL decreases the need for virgin materials, minimizing landfill waste and lowering carbon emissions in production.
2030 FUTURE GOALS
To continue our journey towards an ecofriendly production we are committed to reach these environmental goals by 2030:
Product sustainability:
• Ensure that 80% of all catalog models are part of the Green Choice line and to develop eco-designed products with longer lifespans and repairability.
• Achieve an additional 30% CO2 emissions reduction compared to current levels by expanding the use of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) processes and increasing the share of organic and recycled materials across product lines.
Reduced environmental footprint through packaging:
• Transition to 100% recycled and organic packaging solutions.
• Eliminate plastic bags: replace 300,000 units annually with organic-based packaging.
Responsible transportation:
• Optimize logistics with a focus on low-impact transportation methods.
• Limit air freight to a maximum of 15% of imported products into consumer markets.
OUR COMMITMENT
ANALYZE
When we analyze our ski gloves, breaking them down and studying each material, we get a clear picture of their true environmental impact. This helps us answer important questions: What materials are used? Which parts can be recycled or reused? Which components are causing waste or pollution? How can we design them better in the future?
REDUCE
Reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions required a change in our production facilities, sourcing low-impact materials and optimizing logistics to reduce our environmental footprint.
ACT
We’re embracing a full product life cycle approach, from design and responsible sourcing to recycling solutions at the end of a glove’s life making a direct impact. Furthermore, LEVEL also actively supports environmental causes.
BUILDING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
We are committed to building a circular economy within our industry, ensuring that every glove is designed with its entire life cycle in mind. A circular economy means rethinking the way we create and consume. Instead of the traditional “make, use, dispose” model, we’re focused on keeping materials in use for as long as possible through better design, smarter sourcing, repair, reuse, and recycling.
A glove becomes circular by focusing on three key aspects:
Smart Materials: choosing recycled and responsibly sourced fabrics, leather, and insulation, reducing the use of virgin resources and lowering emissions. We also hold our supply chain to high standards ensuring transparency, ethical sourcing, and adherence to strict material compliance regulations.
Use More, Waste Less: designing gloves to be durable, repairable, and long-lasting. Our goal is to make gear that you’ll use season after season, not just once.
Responsible End-of-Life: creating take-back and recycling programs that ensure our gloves don’t end up in landfills, but instead get a second life as insulation, fibers, or even new products.
WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
A circular economy means designing products and systems that keep materials in use for as long as possible. It’s about reducing waste, making smarter use of resources, and lowering our overall impact on the environment.
LINEAR ECONOMY
RECYCLING ECONOMY
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
DURABILITY
LEVEL products are designed to be durable in all conditions thanks to the high quality of its materials used and rigorous testing protocols. Our commitment to durability begins with the careful selection of quality fabrics, reinforcements, and stitching techniques that ensure long-lasting performance. To guarantee this, LEVEL conducts continuous testing on all glove models.
TENSILE STRENGTH
ABRASION
COLOR MIGRATION
WATER PROOF-NESS
WATER REPELLENCY
BREATHABILITY
WHY IS PRODUCT DURABILITY IMPORTANT?
Durable gloves last longer, which means fewer gloves are discarded over time. This directly reduces the volume of solid waste and the environmental impact of frequent product replacement. Encouraging the use of long-lasting products like durable gloves also supports a circular economy by prioritizing product longevity, reuse, and lower overall resource consumption.
PRODUCTS - LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
To better understand our environmental footprint, we have conducted Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) on some models of our ski gloves. This essential step provides a comprehensive view of our products’ impact and helps us drive meaningful improvements in how we design and produce each collection. We are now partners of Rematrix and RE-SPORT, two innovation hubs that study how to recycle and repurpose textile products. Rematrix is project born out of the will to give new life to fabrics at the end of their life span. The company works closely with us to create an innovative business model and manage the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems. The complex logistics, physical collection and processing needs of end-of-life products and industrial waste are successfully managed, digitized, and tracked in realtime using the in-house developed iSystem platform.
RE-SPORT is a spin-off of the University of Bologna, which develops innovative recycling technologies for the recycling of sports equipment and everyday life goods made of plastic or composite materials. RE-SPORT develops all the recycling process steps of end-oflife multi-material products, starting from the proof-of-concept up to the industrial plant design, taking into consideration the environmental impact and the economics of the process. We collaborate with RE-SPORT and Rematrix to study and assess the life cycle of our products.
WHAT IS A LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a systematic method for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s life, from raw material extraction, production, and use, to disposal or recycling. It is used to assess the total environmental footprint of a product.
LCA OF JUNIOR ANIMAL MITTENS
Example of life cycle assessment of our Junior Animal Mittens. Our Junior Animal Mittens are made from 100% recycled materials, including polyester sourced from PET bottles. The recycling process for our polyester gloves begins with disassembly, where non-polyester components such as zippers and linings are carefully removed. The remaining polyester material then undergoes mechanical recycling, where it is shredded and ground into reusable fibers. Advanced technologies like PURELOOP are used for filtration and purification, eliminating contaminants to ensure a clean, high-quality base material. To enhance performance, the recycled PET is reinforced with a controlled blend of virgin material, maintaining essential properties like elasticity and strength. Finally, the refined material is reshaped into new gloves through injection molding. This closed-loop process results in lower greenhouse gas emissions, high-performance recycled products, and reduced dependence on fossil-based virgin.
WHAT IS MECHANICAL RECYCLING?
Mechanical recycling is a process where plastic waste is physically processed without changing its chemical structure. It’s different from chemical recycling, which breaks plastics down into their molecular building blocks.
GLOVE WITHOUT RECYCLING
RECYCLED GLOVE WITHOUT RECYCLING
RECYCLED GLOVE WITH RECYCLING = JUNIOR ANIMAL MITTENS
LEVEL LEATHER - HIGH QUALITY, LOW IMPACT
At LEVEL, we’re proud to uphold stringent standards in crafting premium gloves. Our commitment to responsible practices begins with sourcing leather from LWG (Leather Working Group) certified tanneries, ensuring quality and environmental responsibility.
Why leather is important at Level:
• Sporting Tradition: Leather is not just beautiful it’s functional, providing the perfect balance between suppleness and durability for sport-specific uses.
• Eco-Friendly Approach: Our white leather products are chrome-free, and we’re working to extend this process to all dyed leathers. We’re also moving toward vegetable tanning, further enhancing the sustainability of ouf gloves.
Types of leather used:
• Goat Skin Leather: Known for its high resistance and softness, goat skin is used in products requiring durability, especially in freeride and professional gloves. Its waterproof properties make it ideal for high-abrasion areas like palms and between the thumb and index finger.
• Sheep Skin Leather: This leather is exceptionally soft, making it ideal for women’s gloves, especially on the back of the hand, where comfort and a sensitive, pleasant fit are priorities.
Why we choose these leathers:
• Goat Skin: Used for gloves that need to withstand rugged conditions, providing resistance and softness, while maintaining a long-lasting, waterproof quality. It’s ideal for freeride and professional-level products.
• Sheep Skin: Specifically chosen for women’s gloves due to its softness and luxurious feel, offering a comfortable fit that’s perfect for more sensitive
SUSTAINABLE, SAFE, AND ETHICAL LEATHER CHOICES
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF LEATHER GLOVES
A recent in-depth LCA focused on leather gloves to explore post-consumer recycling possibilities. The study introduced advanced materials processing methods:
Leather Recycling: The leather was successfully dissolved in an alkaline solution (water and sodium hydroxide, pH ≈ 13) at 60°C for 4 hours. This chemical breakdown allows the recovery of collagen-based compounds and offers a novel route to biopolymer upcycling from leather waste.
Textile Composite Recovery: Glove textiles, excluding the membrane, were mechanically shredded and combined with 10% PP-PE bi-component fibers. The blend was then molded into a non-woven insulation panel by heating it at 140°C for 10 minutes. This thermobonding process, opens new pathways for transforming used ski gloves into thermal insulation layers, suitable for reuse in technical gear or outerwear.
WHAT IS A BIOPOLYMER?
A biopolymer is a type of polymer (a long-chain molecule) that is made from natural, renewable sources such as plants, animals, or microorganisms—rather than fossil fuels. Unlike conventional plastics, many biopolymers are biodegradable or compostable and have a lower environmental impact.
WHAT IS CHEMICAL RECYCLING?
Chemical recycling is an advanced recycling process that breaks down materials at the molecular level, converting them back into raw chemicals that can be used to create new high-quality materials.
WHAT IS A PP-PE BI-COMPONENT FIBER?
A PP-PE bi-component fiber is a synthetic fiber made from two polymers: PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene). These thermoplastics soften when heated and harden when cooled, making them difficult to separate for recycling.
LEVEL’S CERTIFIED FABRICS:
PERFORMANCE MEETS RESPONSIBILITY
At LEVEL, certified fabrics ensure that our gloves meet the highest standards for both quality and sustainability. By incorporating GRS Recycle, Blue Sign, Oekotex, and PFC-free materials, we ensure our gloves are not only high-performing but also eco-friendly. These certifications help us minimize environmental impact and prioritize safety, aligning with LEVEL’s commitment to responsible production and long-lasting quality.
OEKOTEX
Oekotex guarantees that fabrics are free from harmful chemicals, ensuring safety for users.
BLUE SIGN
Blue Sign ensures safe chemical use and responsible resource management.
GRS CERTIFICATE
LEVEL uses recycled materials to reduce the environmental footprint.
PFC FREE
LEVEL’s fabrics are now fully free from PFCs, protecting both the wearer and the environment.
LEVEL INSULATION:
ETHICAL WARMTH FOR EVERY CONDITION
Our insulation technologies blend warmth, comfort, and sustainability. Whether it’s the ethical innovation of PrimaLoft ThermoPlume, the natural advantages of Swiss Wool by Fiwo, or the long-lasting freshness of Polygiene, each material is carefully selected to provide high performance in extreme conditions while reducing our environmental impact. These advanced insulations ensure that every LEVEL glove offers maximum comfort, durability, and responsible sourcing.
PRIMALOFT THERMOPLUME
• Local sourcing and 100% recycled materials
• Sustainable alternative to down
• Trusted by over 70 brands worldwide
SWISS WOOL BY FIWO
• Local sourcing and environmentally conscious partners
• Organic and antimicrobial insulation
• Keeps hands warm and dry naturally
POLYGIENE
• Prevents odor with silver salt technology
• Extends product lifespan by inhibiting bacteria
• Lifetime freshness for long-lasting comfort
PACKAGING
Over the years, we’ve taken concrete steps to reduce our environmental impact including our packaging choices. Two key innovations stand out in our journey:
Recyclable packaging We’ve successfully transitioned away from conventional polyethylene packaging in favor of recyclable packaging materials. This shift not only reduces our reliance on fossil-based plastics but also supports a circular economy, where materials can be reprocessed and reused.
Plastic-free hangers Recognizing the often-overlooked impact of display materials, we’ve completely eliminated plastic from our hangers. These new hangers are crafted from recyclable or biodegradable materials. This innovation reflects our broader commitment to designing with the end of life in mind, making it easier for both retailers and customers to dispose of materials responsibly.
LOGISTICS AND TRASPORTATION
We have significantly reduced our reliance on air transport, shifting the majority of shipments to sea and land freight. In the last four years, we have moved from a 50/50 split between air and sea shipping to today’s ratio of 30% by air and 70% by sea for deliveries to destination countries. This transition represents a major improvement in lowering the carbon footprint of our logistics operations, while still maintaining efficiency and reliability in delivery.
Optimizing shipment volume is equally important for sustainability. By adjusting cargo box dimensions, removing unnecessary inner packaging, and optimizing pallet arrangements, we have increased shipping capacity by 30% per container. This allows us to transport more gloves in fewer shipments, reducing CO2 emissions per product unit and lowering overall logistics impact.
WHY REDUCING AIR SHIPPING AND SWITCHING TO MARINE TRANSPORT MATTERS?
Air freight is by far the most carbon-intensive mode of transport, emitting around 1054 gCO2 per tonne-kilometer, whereas maritime transport averages just 19 gCO2 per tonne-kilometer. Switching from air to sea freight can therefore reduce emissions by over 95% per tonne-kilometer, making it one of the most effective steps in sustainable logistics.
Source: Climate Action Accelerator
LOWER LOGISTICS FOOTPRINT
By carefully combining transport mode selection, shipment optimization, and route planning, LEVEL dramatically lowers its logistics footprint without compromising service quality. Sustainability is embedded not just in production, but in the entire journey each product takes to reach the customer.
THE BENEFITS OF SEA FREIGHT
Switching to sea freight enables:
• Better fuel efficiency per unit shipped.
• Opportunities to consolidate shipments and reduce emissions.
• Lower dependency on carbon-intensive energy, especially when combined with port-side renewable energy or slow-steaming practices.
IMPACT COMPARISON: SEA VS. AIR
Example calculation:
Ships of 9,000 TEUs emit 117.3 g CO₂/
COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIP
LEVEL places strong emphasis on building a vibrant community and forging strategic partnerships to actively support environmental causes. The brand collaborates with organizations such as Protect Our Winters (POW), promotes initiatives like Save Soil, and contributes to the preservation of National Parks, demonstrating a commitment to protecting natural landscapes both locally and globally.
Beyond partnerships, LEVEL fosters direct community engagement by encouraging young skiers, athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts to participate in clean-up efforts, educational workshops, and awareness campaigns. These activities not only help maintain alpine environments but also cultivate a sense of responsibility, empowering the next generation to become environmental stewards.
Through these combined efforts, LEVEL aims to create a culture of sustainability within the ski and outdoor community, inspiring long-term behavioral change and reinforcing the connection between sport, nature, and climate action. By actively involving its community, the brand ensures that environmental protection is a shared mission rather than a solitary effort.
