The Fair Cottage (TFC), a new platform for sustainable outdoor clothing and equipment based in Berlin , employs the direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model to encourage eco-friendly and transparent manufacturers and lessen the industry's environmental effect. The platform also provides users with a scoring matrix that evaluates key sustainability parameters as well as each brand's environmental impact.

Eloy Padilla, TFC founder, said that they want a more environmentally responsible outdoor industry. Change is influenced not only by producers but also by consumer preferences. Their open marketplace lets them connect choices with their personal values.

The D2C model varies from typical e-commerce in two ways that contribute to a considerable reduction in carbon footprint: first, the platform owns no real estate and does not run any warehouses or logistics centers, and second, it does not ship any packages.

The platform connects its own community of active sports and sustainability-minded consumers with brands that follow the ethos and meet the rating matrix; retailers and brands handle their own logistics between physical retail shops and/or other warehouses in different locations; the platform connects its own community of active sports and sustainability-minded consumers with brands that follow the ethos and meet the rating matrix.

Padilla collaborated with his support team to create the rating matrix. It gives brands a score based on six factors: how items are created and shipped, CO2 emissions throughout the manufacturing process, energy usage, fair working conditions, community engagement, and transparency in communication.

According to The Fair Cottage, storage, packaging, and transport account for 62% of the carbon footprint. The company's business approach eliminates these issues, lowering each product line's carbon footprint by more than 62%. The remainder of CO2 emissions from e-commerce and related activities are offset through offset programs.

Padilla added that if done effectively, the direct-to-consumer business model provides a response to many of their time's environmental concerns. Their objective is to unite market supply and customer demand to assist the sustainability movement.

The Fair Cottage began as a blog and community focused on sustainable surfing, outdoor sports gear, and lifestyle in 2016. It was founded in 2016 by enthusiastic surfer Padilla in Berlin. Since its inception in 2019, The Fair Cottage has served as a one-stop-shop for the green outdoor sports community, collaborating with over 50 manufacturers from Europe, the UK and the United States such as Arbor Collective, Babia Clothing, D’Bris, Sierra Climbing and Southern Shores, with more being added steadily.