At Sterling, we've spent decades engineering ropes that climbers trust with their lives. Now, we're applying that same commitment to engineering a better future for our planet.

Our new ECO yarn technology represents a fundamental shift in how climbing ropes are made. We are turning waste that can't be mechanically recycled into high-performance nylon fibers without compromising the strength, handling, or durability you expect from Sterling.

Traditional climbing ropes are manufactured using yarns derived entirely from fossil-based resources. Our ECO yarns take a different path: they're crafted using chemically recycled PA6 nylon derived from end-of-life tire materials through a mass balance process.

Most waste plastics and tire materials can't be mechanically recycled as they're too degraded or contaminated. Instead of ending up in landfills or incinerators, these materials go through an advanced pyrolysis process that breaks them down into base monomers and oils. These recycled inputs then replace fossil feedstock in the production of new, virgin-quality nylon yarn.

Up to 78%* lower carbon footprint compared to ropes made from 100% fossil-based nylon. This reduction has been verified by third-party auditors at Sigma Point, ensuring the environmental benefits are real and measurable.

* The % CO2 reduction from using mass balanced polymer vs virgin polymer is evaluated annually and values may change as measurement accuracy and calculations gets improved.

ECO yarns are manufactured under two globally recognized sustainability certifications for the mass balance process:

ISCC PLUS
Ensures circular, post-consumer recycled content with full traceability through an audited mass balance system. This certification means that while recycled feedstock is integrated at the molecular level during chemical production, every claim about recycled content is verified and traceable through chain-of-custody documentation.

REDcert2
Certifies compliance with renewable-energy-based sustainability standards throughout the production process. Through the mass balance approach, we can verify that our ECO yarns are made from 100% recycled tire materials.

The chemically recycled nylon maintains the same mechanical properties as virgin nylon.

That means:

• No compromise in breaking strength
• No compromise in elongation or handling characteristics
• No compromise in lifecycle or reliability
• No compromise in safety or certification standards

ECO yarns meet all UIAA and EN standards, undergo the same rigorous quality control, and deliver the performance climbers depend on. From a product standpoint, this is a drop-in replacement for standard nylon. Sustainability without compromise.

When you choose a rope with ECO yarns, you're supporting an advanced circular economy supply chain:

• End-of-life tires are processed for the rubber to go though a pyrolysis process to make pyrum oil.
• The resulting pyrum oil replaces or is added to fossil feedstock in BASF's lactam and nylon production.
• The mass balance system ensures traceable, verified recycled content at every step.

Our Limited Edition VR ECO 9.6mm Colombia Rope is the first Sterling rope to feature this groundbreaking technology. It's a competition-ready UIAA certified single rope that proves sustainable innovation and high performance aren't mutually exclusive.