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OUR STORY & FIT FOR THE PLANET COMMITMENT

Yaktrax is the original footwear traction brand. We’ve been obsessed with innovating outdoor movement solutions since 1985 when our founder was inspired by the confidence of intrepid adventurers striding across the snow-packed, ice-covered terrain of Mt. Everest. Our patented coil technology led to the first-ever commercially available, non-spike-based footwear traction enhancement product. Since then, we’ve strived to empower everyone with the ability to confidently navigate the effects of inclement weather.

Yaktrax believes that building superior products means building ethical and sustainable products. This means getting smarter and more resourceful in how we ideate, design, produce and bring products to our customers. We have demonstrated that strategies to design products that are both Fit for the Planet and are inclusive to more people are both commercially advantageous and can be more sustainable for people and planet, and we believe we can create a resilient and vibrant business that truly offers competitive, sustainable value to our consumer and for our business. We have significantly advanced our climate strategy, materials management, and human rights due diligence through establishing new best practices and processes, enabling and hiring key staff, and building the institutional muscle to support these programs and goals. For more on these strategies across Yaktrax partner brands, please see Implus.com/Impact page for more information about Implus corporate climate goals and people engagement including Diversity, Education, & Inclusion (DEI).  

ACHIEVE CLIMATE BENEFITS AND OPERATIONAL SUCCESS

The Yaktrax team began working with the nonprofit Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) in 2008 to begin understanding our carbon emissions and how to be accountable for those emissions. BEF is a non-profit organization that addresses climate challenges through entrepreneurial solutions to make a positive, inclusive, and equitable impact. The organization, which was founded in 1998, has several water, carbon, and energy programs.

Our purchase of RECs supports the development of renewable energy in which clean energy is delivered to the North American power grid while avoiding carbon emissions from fossil fuel-based electricity. Implus’s contribution has contributed to thecollective generation of clean energy in Crossroads Wind Farm, Cedar Creek Wind Farm, Trinity Hills Wind Farm, Tatanka Wind Farm, and Sherbino Wind Farms. Some of the impacts of these wind farms include Crossroads Wind Farm is expected to meet the electrical needs of approximately 70,00 average homes, Cedar Creek Wind Farm has employed over 700 workers, and Trinity Hills Wind Farm employs approximately 20 workers in a town of less than 4,000 and has the capacity to power 67,000 average homes.

We are working across our brands now to not only measure, but commit to specific reductions and continue this engagement with BEF.

BUILD RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

Our dedicated innovation and sourcing teams are driving our company to think differently and lead product differentiation in our quest to double our company while simultaneously reducing our impact on the environment. We are also looking at sourcing decisions that lead us to materials that are more ethical and socially conscious in both how and where they were produced and how they impact the consumer community. 

Yaktrax is continually looking at opportunities to improve our product, including sourcing more sustainable materials. In the case of metals, we have conducted due diligence to understand the sources of key metals to ensure they are not benefitting conflict groups. We are alsokicking offconversation with our suppliers to help us identify recycled metal sources and more responsible sources of rubber to reduce the virgin material we need while maintaining the quality you expect. This is just the first of many activities we are implementing across our products and brands to provide the quality of products you deserve, made with the care and concern for the planet we share.

UNLOCK GROWTH THROUGH EFFICIENCY & WASTE REDUCTION

In the last year, we have focused our initial efforts to reduce packaging waste on specific groups of products which we estimate will prevent 360 tons of plastic, paper, and other packaging waste. These early successes are very encouraging and have energized the team.

In 2023, we initiated the redesign of Yaktrax and Little Hotties packaging with a primary focus on reducing materials across the brand. As a member of How2Recycle, we have begun to remove elements of our products and packs that would otherwise inhibit recycling of the packaging such as laminate coating. Based on our successful efforts centered on waste reduction and shipping efficiency, we project that this will result in replacing 1.75 tons of non-recyclable packaging with recyclable packaging.

We will be taking on a number of key Yaktrax product packaging so please stay tuned to see these improvements.

INNOVATING FOR OUR FUTURE

Innovation is key to our Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitment. Whether designing a new product for the first time to use less material or rethinking an existing product to make it more repairable, our product developers are focused on exceeding consumer expectations and delivering our ESG goals.

We continue to iterate to find the balance between hitting new innovative targets, finding the right price point for our customers, and achieving ESG goals. Through this collaborative process, we are pushing our own boundaries, building new skills across our teams and supply chain partners, and taking steps each day towards meeting our sustainability goals.

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