Platypus GravityWorks Sustainability Report

Longevity is a major highlight of the Platypus GravityWorks. Both the dirty and clean reservoirs are thick, abrasion-resistant, and far more durable than most squeeze-filter bladders. The filter cartridge is rated for 1,500 liters—about average for a hollow-fiber design—but it’s fully replaceable for $80, allowing the reservoirs, hoses, and hardware to last indefinitely. With replaceable parts and robust materials across the system, the GravityWorks is built to handle years of group use with minimal long-term waste.

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

The GravityWorks is BPA free.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic and found in food and beverage containers, including bottles, cans, and more. Studies have identified the substance as a hormone disruptor, linking it to adverse health effects on the immune, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The E.U. banned BPA from all materials that come into contact with food, while the U.S. prohibits its use in baby bottles, sippy cups, and infant formula packaging. Some items (such as camping cookware and water reservoirs) may still contain the chemical, though, since it isn’t entirely banned.

Nearly every part of the Platypus GravityWorks system is replaceable, and we love that Platypus sells extensive replacement parts on its website, including caps, reservoir tubes, reservoirs, filters, and gravity filter hose kits.

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.

Platypus manufactures the majority of its products in the U.S. at a factory it owns and operates, meeting our responsible manufacturing criteria. Its parent company, Cascade Designs, owns its factories in Seattle, Washington; Reno, Nevada; and Ireland, ensuring strong oversight of its supply chain. Additionally, products made in the U.S. are subject to strict labor and environmental regulations and typically have a lower carbon footprint because transportation between global factories is reduced.

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.

All of Platypus’s packaging is made from recycled materials, and the vast majority of cardstock is also Forest Stewardship Council-certified. Additionally, all of Platypus’s packaging is recyclable.

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.

Platypus’s parent company, Cascade Designs, tracks its greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with science-aligned (but not verified) reduction targets. Cascade Designs aims to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, compared to its 2021 baseline. In 2024, Cascade Designs’ portfolio of brands emitted just under 18,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, but we were unable to find data describing Platypus’s share of the total. Platypus states it is making progress toward its carbon-reduction goals, but we have not yet found a long-term dataset to confirm this.

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.

Neither Cascade Designs nor Platypus publishes an annual impact report detailing its progress toward sustainability initiatives. Cascade Designs publishes a sustainability page on its website that covers basic sustainability information, including greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, its restricted substances list, and related topics.

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.