grew out of a small company that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of this worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing - as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, paddling and trail running. 
Patagonia's values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach they take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility. For Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet. They donate time, services and at least 1% of sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups all over the world who work to help reverse the tide. Patagonia is renowned for their environmental stance towards clothing production: they use recycled polyester in many of their clothes and only organic, rather than pesticide-intensive, cotton.
Sometimes Patagonia find that a fabric needs nothing new, but something less. Take the case of cotton, a natural fiber whose cultivation has for the past sixty years entailed massive use of toxic chemicals. Over ten years ago, Patagonia said goodbye to the chemicals and switched exclusively to organic cotton. That was in 1996, and Patagonia has never looked back.
Everything we do pollutes or taxes the Earth in some way. It’s a sad and inescapable fact. But there are things we can do as individuals and businesses to lighten our impact on the environment, such as buying and throwing away less, reusing products whenever possible, and recycling everything we can.
Patagonia seeks to build the best product and cause no unnecessary harm. That's Patagonia's mission statement, and it takes many forms. As it applies to making products, Patagonia works hard to source materials and use processes that are less harmful to the Earth without compromising quality. Because to Patagonia, quality is not only how well a product performs and holds up, but also how it's made. Patagonia realizes that their efforts are far from perfect, but they're trying and making headway. Patagonia currently use the following e-fibers – environmentally friendlier fibers – in a number of our products. They include recycled and recyclable polyester, organic cotton, hemp, organic wool and chlorine-free wool.
Organic Cotton
As it happens, very little is pure or natural about cotton when it is raised conventionally. Fully 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals in the United States are used to produce cotton, grown on just one percent of all major agricultural land. Conventional cotton crops in California alone are dusted every year with 6.9 million pounds of chemicals. And research shows that extensive and intensive use of synthetic fertilizers, soil additives, defoliants and other substances wreak terrible havoc on soil, water, air and many, many living things.There is, of course, an alternative: organic cotton. There are farmers who have been growing cotton without harmful chemicals for years. Their yield is high and the quality of the cotton they grow is equal to or better than conventionally grown cotton. Their methods support biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, improve the quality of soil and often use less water. Growing organically takes more time, requires more knowledge and skill, and, for now, costs more. But it's worth it.
Once Patgonia had this knowledge, and the counsel of good friends in the environmental community, they believed they had no choice. In 1996, Patagonia converted theirr entire sportswear line to 100% organically grown cotton. Patagonia decided never to go back to conventional cotton, regardless of the outcome.
The move didn't compromise quality. Rather it improved the feel of Patagonia's fabric and provoked a fundamental change in Patagonia's attitudes about agriculture. As part of Patagonia's organic cotton program, hundreds of their staff took tours of cotton fields, where they could see the dangers of pesticide use and the benefits of organic farming for themselves. Many at Patagonia us since become activists on the issue and have shifted to buying organic foods and clothing for themselves and their families.
Recycled and Recyclable Polyester
In 1993, Patagonia adopted fleece into their product line made from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. Patagonia were the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to do so. PCR® clothing was a positive step towards a more sustainable system – one that uses fewer resources, discards less and better protects people’s health. Over the course of 13 years, Patagonia saved some 92 million soda bottles from the trash heap. That’s enough oil to fill the 40-gallon gas tank of the diminutive Chevy Suburban 20,000 times.Today, Patagonia are able to utilize more sources for recycled polyester and offer it on more garments such as Capilene baselayers, shell jackets and board shorts, as well as fleece. Patagonia now recycles used soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments into polyester fibers to produce many of their clothes. Patagonia also started the world's first garment recycling program – send us your old, worn-out Capilene baselayers and Patagonia will make a new polyester garment from them using an innovative process developed by their friends at TEJIN.
Benefits of recycled and recyclable polyester:
- Lessens dependence on oil
- Curbs discards, thereby prolonging landfill life and reducing toxic emissions from incinerators
- Helps to promote a new recycling stream for polyester clothing that is no longer wearable
- Creates less air, water and soil contamination
Hemp
Unfortunately, industrial hemp is illegal to grow in most parts of the world. Activists, businesses and farmers alike are working hard to get the laws changed but an aura of fear still surrounds most of the government agencies involved. Patagonia currently imports their high-quality hemp from China and continue to hope that it might some day grow freely again.Environmental Benefits
• Requires no irrigation
• Uses no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers
• Harvested and processed by hand
Performance Benefits
• One of the most, if not the most, durable natural fibers on the planet
• Wonderful drape that’s comparable to linen
Chlorine-free Wool
Raw, untreated wool has scales that make it itchy and coarse and cause it to shrink, so most wool fabrics are treated with chlorine to reduce the scales. But chlorine is a pollutant.Patagonia's high-quality wool is slow-washed for softness next to the skin and minimal shrinkage. It is chlorine-free.
Common Threads Garment Recycling
Way too much of what is made these days ends up in the trash at the end of its useful life. At Patagonia, they're working to change that.In 2005 Patagonia launched the Common Threads Garment Recycling Program, through which customers could return their worn out Capilene® Performance Baselayers to Patagonia for recycling. Patagonia have now added Patagonia fleece, Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers and Patagonia organic cotton T-shirts to their list of recyclables.
In 2007, they added Patagonia fleece, Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers and Patagonia organic cotton T-shirts to the list.
In 2008, Patagonia are adding to the list of recyclable garments some technical jackets (Ready Mix and Figure IV jackets), synthetic insulation (Puff vest), their boardshorts (Wavefarer II Boardshort and Minimalist II Bordie) and even a waterproof/breathable jacket made out recycled polyester: the Eco Rainshell Jacket.
Patagonia's long-term goal is to take environmental responsibility for everything they make. Please help Patagonia by changing your clothes for good.
