Would you wear a jacket made from ocean waste? Meet Ternua.
5 lessons from Ternua: The Basque adventure brand born from whalers, built for adventurers.
Kaixo, lagun! — as we say ´hello friend´ in Basque.
What if your next adventure could clean the oceans?
Let´s jump into this week´s environmental hero´s story to uncover how Ternua aligns purpose, impact and financial success— and how YOU can do it too.
We will do that by:
Walking through our hero´s story— their genius, journey and breakthroughs.
Breaking it down into 5 practical lessons you can apply to your own path.
Ternua: The Basque Outdoor Brand with a Deep-Sea Soul
A committed and sustainable brand that protects the planet and the people, from a symbol that represents the relationship between both.
Where sustainability meets adventure.
Ternua’s story runs deep— deep into the cold Atlantic waters, the history of Basque whalers, and a time when our ancestors lived from the ocean, before they understood they had to live with it.
And that shift—from exploitation to regeneration—is what makes this brand special.
This is the story of Ternua— a brand born from the wild Basque landscapes and an unshakable commitment to protecting the land and sea.
Read till the end to see their cool timeline with even cooler photos.
Start with a WHY: From Whalers to Wanderers
We are born inspired in the adventurous spirit, of overcoming and respect toward the Basque whalers.
Ternua means Newfoundland in Basque. If you’re thinking "Wait, isn't that in Canada?"—you’re right. The Basques were some of the first global explorers, sailing across the Atlantic to fish and hunt whales long before Columbus set foot in the Americas.
But times change, and so does our understanding of sustainability.
Today, instead of hunting whales, Ternua protects them as an outdoor brand that respects the wild instead of taking from it. Pretty cool, huh?
Are you already dreaming of how to protect your beloved Gallotia Galloti lizards in your neighbourood? Let´s continue.
Founded in 1994, Ternua emerged at a time when sustainability wasn’t sexy—it was an uphill battle. But they refused to be another outdoor brand. They set out to do things differently: to create high-quality, high-performance apparel that didn’t harm the very environment it was designed to explore.
Lesson 1: Your Story is Your Strength
Tenua didn´t bury it´s people´s past. It owned it. It refraimed its history as a mission.
So ask yourself:
What is your story?
What shaped your love for the environment?
How can that past fuel a business that fixes what´s broken?
Like Ternua, find a way to connect your personal or community story to the product/project. For Ternua, it was the history of a whaler community and the connection to the ocean. For you, it could be anything from your admiration for the rare, sunbathing lizards of your home in the Canary Island to a family background as spice traders that traveled ancient routes.
Trash to Treasure: From Wallnuts to Cool Clothes
Everything we do is in line with our commitment to the planet and to the people who live on it.
Now, let´s get into the real reason Ternua is on our radar.
Sustainability isn´t just a marketing stunt for them, It´s stitched into their DNA— literally.
While most brands slap an “eco” sticker on their product Ternua has taken sustainability to an obsessive level in material innovation; turning local sustainability issues into opportunities. Read on to be surprised.
Fishing Nets into Jackets
Discarded fishing nets are one of the biggest ocean pollutants. The Redcycle project rescues them from the Basque coast and transformes them into Econyl fabric— a technical fabric made from recycled material used in ther jackets.
Walnut Shells into Natural Dyes
Forget synthetic dyes. Nutcycle taps into the Basque tradition of using walnut shells to create chemical free natural pigments.
Sheep Wool Nobody Wanted? Now It´s Premium Insulation.
The latxa sheep are an iconic part of Basque culture, but their wool had no commercial value— until Ternua figured out how to turn it into Artilleshell, a natural insulator for winter gear.
Are you seeing the pattern?
They don´t just reduce waste. They transform it into something valuable.
Textile waste, repurposed
They also own their own trash. Wearcycle takes textile waste and transforms it into technical thread to weave new garments.
It´s all about owning our “trash”.
“Am I wearing a bottle once mindlessly tossed into the sea?”— most likely!
Lesson 2: Solve a Real Problem
This is the difference between playing business and building impact.
Don´t start with a product.
Start with a problem that pisses you off.
Is fruit from background trees going to waste?
Are mountains of coffee grounds tossed by your local cafe or stacks of unsold newspapers heading to the landfill?
Is there a resource nobody´s paying attention to that could be repurposed?
Start there.
Brand Culture: More Than Gear—It’s a Whole Vibe
Alright. Here´s the real reason why I am writing about Ternua. I want to be part of their tribe.
They’re basically like that friend who invites you on a spontaneous camping trip, and before you know it, you´re wearing matching jackets, deep in an Alpine expedition or hanging from the cliffs, the ocean behind you.
They´ve built a community— and it’s way cooler than any club I’ve ever been invited to.
You start reading the blog, and you think, “I need this to be my life”. I want to be part of a community where we are having epic adventures, and probably saving the occasional whale in the process.”
Lesson 3: Create a Culture, Not Just a Brand
Make people want to wear your brand and join the club.
Make people say, “I want to buy this, but also, I want to live in the world you’re creating!” So, don’t just sell a product—sell a lifestyle.
It’s not just about buying stuff; it’s about creating a tribe that makes people feel like they’re part of something way bigger than just a jacket.
Partnerships: The Shortcut to Scalling
We interact with the natural environment in a harmonious and ethical way, forging links with projects and collaborations that translate this spirit into real commitments.
Another thing Ternua nailed? They didn´t try to do everything alone.
Instead of spending years developing sustainable fabrics from scatch, they teamed up with Aquafil, the company behind Econyl.
Instead of single-handedly cleaning up ocean plastic, they partnered with local fishermen to collect waste and upcycle it into fabric.
They collaborated with farmers and conservation groups to source natural materials
And, they worked with local government initiatives to fund ocean clean-up projects.
Lesson 4: Find Experts, Not Excuses
You don´t need to master everything to build a killer business. You need to:
Find people who´ve already solved part of your problem.
Bring them into your vision.
Use their expertise instead of reinventing the wheel.
Want to build an eco-brand but don´t know… anything about textiles? Partner with a sustainable fabric lab.
Want to start a zero-waste food business but suck at logistics? Team up with a local delivery service that´s already doing it.
Stop waiting to be ready. Start collaborating.
Funding: Where Mission Meets Money
Let´s address the elephant in the room.
How, HOW, do you fund a business like this?
I´ve never done it, BUT, Here´s how Ternua did it:
They aligned with investors who got it.
Instead of begging for funding from people who only cared about profit margins, they targeted sustainable investment funds— people who wanted to put money into the planet-positive businesses.
They backed Ternua because they saw a profitable, scalable model with mission backed to it.
Lesson 5: Money follows impact (When You Prove It´s Profitable)
If you want funding, don´t just pitch the “why” of your business— prove the how.
How will it make money
How will it scale without losing integrity?
How will it be relevantin 5, 10, 50 years?
Sustainability isn´t a free pass to funding. You still need to show up with a rock-solid business case.
Final Takeaways: This is Your Playbook
Ternua isn´t just an outdoor brand. It´s a masterclass in building an impact driven business.
Let´s bring it home.
Your history can be your strength – Instead of ignoring the whaling past, use it as your mission fuel.
Solve a real problem – Waste, pollution resource inefficiency, there are opportunities in every environmental crisis.
Build a lifestyle & community, not just a product.
Don´t do it alone. Partner withexperts who can accelerate your mission.
Show investors the money: Align with green investors and prove your model is financially sound.
Growth should amplify your values, not dilute them – As Ternua expanded, they didn’t cut corners. They doubled down on sustainability— long-term success comes from staying true to your principles.
Now Over to You…
What´s your version of Ternua?
What problem do you actually want to solve?
Drop your thoughts in the comments— I want to hear what you´re building!
A pretty cool timeline with even cooler photos
Alright lagun, that´s it for this week.
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This was motivating. Waiting for more posts like this!