Recycling isn’t the sustainability finish line we’ve been told it is. For most technical outdoor fabrics, recycling means breaking materials down, shortening their lifespan, and turning high-performance gear into something weaker,a process known as downcycling. It’s better than landfill, but it’s not impact-free. Upcycling takes a different approach. Instead of destroying what still works, it keeps durable materials intact and gives them a second life. When old wings become