Storm Creek reduces plastic waste, gives back to community

Storm Creek, an apparel brand based in Eagan, Minn., is committed to reducing plastic waste through upcycling plastic bottles into clothing items. The company sources plastic bottles from postconsumer waste that are broken down into plastic flakes, then beads and finally, polyester fibers that are used to make men’s and women’s jackets, vests, shirts, and pants.

Storm Creek works with mill partners to ensure the bottles are properly cleaned, processed and broken down to be turned into clothing fibers. The company also meticulously tracks the number of plastic bottles that go into each garment and displays this number on the product’s tag. For example, the Overachiever jacket has approximately 42 plastic bottles per garment, depending on the size.

The company was originally founded as an outdoor apparel brand by Doug Jackson in 1995. In 2014, the company committed to sourcing eco-friendly materials and following sustainable business practices, hiring Teresa Fudenberg as Storm Creek’s new CEO to help with this objective. Shortly after she started, she married Jackson, who is the company’s president.

Fudenberg aims to promote sustainability not only through Storm Creek’s business practices but also through education. She launched the Storm Creek Sustainability School™ to teach customers, employees and partners about the company’s mission and how they can help. The school holds presentations regularly at industry events and webinars about water usage and conservation, carbon emissions, sustainable fabrics, transparency in the supply chain, and compliance.

Storm Creek also prioritizes giving back to its community. The company has a goal of donating $5 million by 2030 to charities including Twin Cities Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Feeding America, and the National Park Foundation. As of this writing, the company is about halfway to this goal.

Storm Creek upcycles millions of plastic bottles annually. In 2024, the company upcycled 46 million plastic bottles and has a goal of upcycling at least 65 million plastic bottles in 2025.