2024.09.25

挑戰極限、追求永續的歐都納

Pushing limits and seeking sustainability, ATUNAS wants to become the most eco-friendly outdoor brand in Asia.

因為熱愛山林、希望「讓世界看見台灣」，號召好手遠征七大洲最高峰、挑戰八千米峻嶺；為了追求永續，打造單一材質全循環衣，目標2031年成為亞洲最環保戶外品牌。創立半世紀的歐都納，土生土長卻胸懷世界，不斷打破紀錄、自我超越。

　　學校操場中央人聲鼎沸，數百位登山客全副武裝，正隨著音樂、開心搖擺身體，為接下來的健行活動預作暖身。由國內戶外運動品牌歐都納發起的「無痕山林」，每年都精心規畫登山路線，廣邀大眾參與，目的是推動親山愛山的戶外活動，避免造成山林過大負擔，鼓勵民眾以低碳環保的方式，爬山也同時淨山，凡走過必不留痕跡。

　　在歐都納的推廣下，「無痕山林」已舉辦14年，累計逾21萬人次報名，攀登總高度1.09億公尺，相當於21萬4761座101大樓，等同攀登1萬2330次聖母峰，歐都納的努力，讓台灣登山健行風氣更加普及。

    The school playground was filled with excitement, with hundreds of fully equipped hikers warming up to the music for the upcoming hiking event. This event named "Leave No Trace," organized by Atunas, Taiwan's leading outdoor sports and leisure brand, annually designs dozens of hiking routes inviting the public to actively participate. The ultimate goal of the event is to promote eco-friendly outdoor activities that minimize environmental impact and encourages people to exercise in a low-carbon, sustainable manner. The core idea is to hike and clean the mountains at the same time, leaving no human trace behind, personally embodying the environmental protection principles.

    Over 14 years, Atunas's  "Leave No Trace" event has attracted +210,000 participants, with a total climbing height of 109 million meters. which are equivalent to climbing the Taipei 101 building 21,476 times or summiting Mount Everest 12,330 times, contributing significantly to Taiwan's hiking culture while also raising Atunas’ profile.

Atunas isn’t just committed to leaving no trace in the mountains; they’ve also applied technological innovations to clothing. In April 2024, Atunas launched Taiwan’s first “MIT Outdoor Textile Ecological Circularity”, which successfully united up- and down-stream supply chain parters.  To create a groundbreaking zero-waste sports shirt, ATUNAS first collaborated with Nan Ya Plastics and achieved single-material from the source. The R&D efforts succeeded. In 2023, Atunas introduced to the market Taiwan’s first 100% fully recyclable, reusable, and renewable clothing. From material, manufacturing, consumer use to end-of-life recycling,  a true circular economy is realized.

Typically, fabrics of clothing are made of materials different from those of buttons, threads, and labels; which makes recycling extremely difficult and labor-intensive. To address this problem, Atunas adopted the Cradle-to-Cradle concept and created the 'All Love Recycled Clothing' product line. The garments are made of 80% recycled PET bottles and 20% single-material polyester from used clothes and fabric scraps.  Every elements of All Love, from fabric, labels, sewing threads, zippers to buttons, are made from a single material. This allows for the whole garment to be easily recycled—crushed, granulated, spun, and remade—without the need for labor-intensive sorting. Even the dyes and inks are carefully selected so that they can be easily removed in the decolorization process.  All Love also use 100% biodegradable packaging!

To expand the impact of its “Zero Waste Ecosystem,” Atunas has partnered with recyclers and set up 31 recycling stations across Taiwan, encouraging consumers to recycle their clothes. With every item recycled, customers can earn bonus points as an incentive. As the circular system matures, Atunas plans to release its first 100% single-material jacket in spring 2025 as part of the 'All Love,”  making textile sustainability a reality.

    For many years, Atunas has been pushing the boundaries of sustainable clothing. Starting nearly 20 years ago, it partnered with suppliers to use recycled PET bottle yarns, nano bamboo charcoal, and other green materials. In 2014, it became the first Taiwanese company to pass the carbon footprint certification for clothing, launching Taiwan's first waterproof and breathable functional garment with international carbon footprint and Taiwan carbon label certifications. In 2017, Atunas launched the "Energy-Saving Shirt," which effectively blocks 70% of near-infrared and harmful UV rays, helping wearers stay cooler. In 2020, it developed thermal underwear for mountaineers, made from 100% recycled PET yarn.

    In the last decade, Atunas has consistently innovated, building the foundation for 100% circular recyclable clothing and promoting the textile recycling circle. Aiming to become Asia’s most eco-friendly outdoor brand by 2031, Atunas is aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to "Responsible Consumption and Production," "Climate Action," "Conservation of Land and Marine Ecosystems," and "Global Partnerships."

2015年歐都納舉辦「八鐵環島」，以八項運動在10天內環遊台灣一圈

    To showcase Taiwan's capability in mountaineering, Atunas's 7 Summits and 8K Climbing projects are yet another ground-breaking efforts.  In the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, mountaineer circle in Taiwan were hard hit. To regain morale and pride, Atunas decided to do something and brought impacts.

    In 2006–2009, Atunas launched the "Seven Summits Climbing Project," calling on domestic mountaineers to conquer the highest peaks in 7 continents.  The 7 summit team successfully reached Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Aconcagua in South America, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, Mount Everest and other two summits, significantly increased the visibility of Taiwanese mountaineers on the international stage.

    In 2011, Atunas supported the Executive Yuan’s Sports Affairs Council in promoting the "National Climbing Movement" to encourage public participation. The movement were further expanded into the "Healthy 100 Citizens for All Little Baiyue", in which 100 of the most scenic hills in Taiwan were selected for climbing. Nearly 40,000 people participated, and a world record was set with 6,136 people simultaneously climbing various mountains. This left an indelible mark on Taiwan's image as a mountaineering nation in the global community! In the same year, Atunas launched the "Explore Little Baiyue" campaign, focusing on low-altitude, easy-to-navigate hiking routes near urban areas.  With incentives and rewards provided, public participation increased year by year.  Over the course of 13 years, the total height climbed  was equivalent to summiting Mount Everest 11,612 times.

    That same year, Atunas made another bold attempt by launching the "8K Climb" massive expedition. Members in the 8K Climb team summited the world's 13th highest peak Gasherbrum II in 2014, the 12th highest peak Broad Peak (8,051 meters) in 2014, and the Xianwu Mountain in Sichuan, China, in 2017, setting successive national records of first-ascents.

    To further encourage high-altitude mountaineering in Taiwan and to cultivate more domestic talents, Atunas initiated the "8K Club" training program in 2013. This program has held six terms of semester-long overseas remote mountaineering training courses.  Atunas also offers climbing scholarships to encourage young mountaineers to step out of their comfort zones and venture abroad for climbing. Due to the global pandemic, Atunas shifted the focus in 2021 from overseas mountaineering to all types of outdoor sports and introduced  the "Atunas X Team" project, which continues to sponsor Taiwanese adventurers in mountaineering, rock climbing, camping, and aquatic activities. The goal is to unveil Taiwan's natural beauty for more people to fall in love with. Over the years, these initiatives have cost more than NT$70 million.

     Atunas's sponsorship and dream-fulfilling projects allowed more Taiwanese mountaineering enthusiasts to receive solid, comprehensive training that includes drafting expedition proposals and mountain leadership courses, shaping a health culture of mountaineering in Taiwan while nurturing elite climbers as seed tutors.

    Due to these efforts in encouraging public participation, Atunas has been awarded the "Sports Promotion Award" for 10 consecutive years by the Ministry of Education's Sports Administration, earning the Gold Medal in the Promotion Category, for its contribution in shaping sports culture.

歐都納七頂峰計畫，成功攀登歐洲最高的厄爾布魯斯峰

    Externally, Atunas is proactive in promoting leisure sports, and internally, the company also encourages employees to balance work, life, charity and sports. In addition to offering "volunteer leave" to encourage employees' participation in social services, Atunas is the industry pioneer in introducing "sports leave" on top of annual paid leaves. Employees who aspire to pursue challenging sports can easily apply by providing photographic proof.

   In every September before the start of new school year, Atunas Chairman Cheng Kun would write letters to greet and inspire employee's children in elementary or junior high schools along with NT$5,000 in scholarships. The aim is to bring cohesion and warmth in the workplace. Cheng grew up with love and had countless outdoor adventures with his father.  That's why he brings infinite passion to work, life, and the environment and creates a unique outdoor brand that is resilient and ambitious.