prAna’s Responsible Packaging Movement Receives Honorable Mention in Fast Company’s 2021 Innovation by Design Awards

September 21, 2021

Celebrating 10 years of Innovation by Design, the 2021 honorees include nearly 600 projects, products, and services from Nike, Verizon, Microsoft, and others.

Carlsbad, CA – September 21, 2021 /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ prAna, creator of Clothing for Positive Change and a leader in sustainable outdoor fashion, is pleased to announce its Responsible Packaging Movement (RPM) was honored in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards for 2021 in the Packaging category.

The 10th anniversary of the awards, which can be found in the October 2021 issue of Fast Company, recognize people, teams, and companies that transform businesses, organizations, and society through design. One of the most sought-after design awards in the industry, Innovation by Design is the only competition to honor creative work at the intersection of design, business, and innovation, recognizing the people, companies, and trends that have steadily advanced design to the forefront of the business conversation.

prAna’s Responsible Packaging Movement, a program developed to both inspire and create industry-wide change around responsible packaging, launched August 2020 and has gained over 80 brand partners to date. For over a decade, prAna has taken a grassroots approach to reduce plastic and excess waste in its packaging. Through RPM, the brand is openly sharing its learnings and resources with brands that join the movement. The program provides a collaborative network of like-minded brands, monthly webinars, and roundtable discussions with industry leaders, along with a social media toolkit to guide brands in sharing their progress.

prAna’s journey to 100% plastic-free packaging began 11 years ago when the manager of its Boulder, Colorado retail store sent a picture of an enormous pile of plastic polybags collected from a daily product shipment, along with a question: “What do you want me to do with all of this?” Through its roll-pack method, prAna has successfully removed over 20 million polybags from its supply chain to date. Just last month, prAna celebrated reaching its long-term goal of 100% plastic-free packaging with the launch of the Fall/Winter 2021 collection on the one-year anniversary of RPM.

“This movement started as a spark of an idea and has taken on a life of its own,” said Rachel K. Lincoln, director of sustainability at prAna. “In the first year, we’ve found ourselves in the company of an impressive group of like-minded, global consumer brands from multiple industries. We’ve come together focusing on collaboration over competition.”

“Design is not just a beauty contest,” said Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “It’s something that can change the world and create solutions in a time when we face pressing global issues such as systemic racism, climate change, and a global pandemic. Many of these entries showcase these challenges while providing hope for the future through their steadfast commitment to elevate design.”

Honorees for the 2021 awards were selected in the following categories: Apps and Games; Cities; Data Design; Design Company of the Year; Experimental; Fashion and Beauty; Finance; General Excellence; Graphic Design; Health; Home; Learning; Mobility; Packaging; Products; Retail Innovation; Social Good; Spaces and Places; Sports and Recreation; Students; Sustainability; User Experience; Wellness; Workplace; Best Design Asia-Pacific; Best Design Europe, Best Design Middle East, and Best Design Africa; Best Design Latin America; and Best Design North America. New categories included Advertising, Branding, Impact, Materials, Pandemic Response, Real Estate, and Years in Business.

The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company’s own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact.

Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are featured online and in the October issue of Fast Company magazine, on newsstands September 28, 2021.

To see the complete list, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/2021

ABOUT FAST COMPANY

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

About prAna

Clothing for Positive Change

We inspire you to chase adventure, thrive, and stay active in your unique way. We strive to responsibly outfit those adventures with respect for the planet and its people. We commit to education and exploration in the name of progress so we can all create Clothing for Positive Change. Whether you’re commuting to work or wandering the globe, rest assured we’ve been there and used those moments to design better and sustainably made product. prana.com