Atomic Hawx Prime XTD Sustainability Report

The Atomic Hawx Prime XTD doesn't contain any recycled materials. Atomic has identified nine sustainability-related action items it is pursuing, one of which is using more recycled content. Specifically, Atomic is working to increase the percentage of recycled materials in its alpine ski boots. In 2023, the company started a boot take-back program, through which consumers can return boots that are beyond repair. Atomic then uses them as a source of plastic to create new boot shells. The company also uses recycled material in some of its apparel products.

Outdoor gear can be made partly or entirely from recycled materials, the most common being nylon, polyester, wool, and down. Some products include a single recycled component or a partially recycled fabric, while others are 100% recycled (generally excluding accessories like zippers, Velcro, toggles, etc.). For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate the amount of recycled materials in a particular product and assign points accordingly.

Replacement parts are available for the Hawx Prime XTD. Atomic prioritizes repairability for all its products, which includes offering replacement parts. For example, in Atomic’s ski boots, 77% of the parts are replaceable. Spare parts can be purchased on the company’s website, including liners, insoles, boot boards, power straps, tongue systems, hardware, and other components.

Providing replacement parts extends a product's lifespan and eliminates the need to purchase a new one. For example, some brands offer replacement lenses for ski goggles, should they become damaged, or provide an extra clip for a trekking pole if it breaks. We scale the points received for this category based on how robust the replacement part offerings are for the product category.

Atomic manufactures most of its products at its Altenmarkt headquarters in Austria. The headquarters finished the ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems in 2024. ISO 14001 is an international standard for environmental management systems developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an independent non-governmental organization. Working to the ISO 14001 standards allows companies to lower their environmental impact, follow legal requirements, and meet company sustainability goals. Because Atomic has opted to certify its factory with ISO and undergoes continual auditing to maintain high standards, it meets our criteria for responsible manufacturing.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Through its lifecycle assessments, Atomic has identified the carbon footprint of packaging for 25 different products. However, the company doesn’t indicate whether it has taken action to reduce the impact of its packaging.

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

Atomic launched its Boot Take-Back Program in 2024, enabling it to recycle used alpine ski boots into materials for new ones. The program collected 4,000 pairs of boots and diverted 24 tons of waste from landfills in its first year. It doesn’t accept items other than alpine ski boots, though. Additionally, Atomic has systems in place to recycle the sawdust produced from making its skis. When two wedges of wood are used to make one ski, 40% of the wood material ends up as sawdust. Atomic recycles the sawdust into chipboard, a move the company estimates saves 18.9 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Atomic tracks its greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes and aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 60% and Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030, compared to its 2022 baseline. It’s also working towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and the Science Based Targets Initiative verified these goals in 2025. Additionally, Atomic’s headquarters in Austria has been powered by 100% renewable energy since 2014, and the company plans to use completely renewable energy across all its facilities by 2027.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

Atomic publishes a fairly detailed annual impact report that covers its manufacturing, circularity initiatives, and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the brand’s parent company, Amer Sports, publishes an annual impact report that includes details about Atomic’s sustainability efforts.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.