Innovation & Tech Today - CA (2020-10)

68 INNOVATION & TECH TODAY^ |^ 2020 YEAR-END ISSUE

Produced in partnership with

Patagonia

No good article on sustainable practices in the

fashion and outdoor industry can be complete

without catching up with the godfather of

sustainable fashion, Patagonia, now approaching

50 years as the trailblazer into this industry.

Patagonia is a designer of outdoor clothing

and gear for outdoor sports such as climbing,

surfing, skiing and snowboarding, fly fishing,

and trail running. Since he founded Patagonia in

1973 as a rock-climbing outfitter, Yvon

Chouinard has dedicated his life and his

company’s mission to creating eco- and earth-

friendly products, and employing workers and

manufacturing operations in the same country.

Currently, Patagonia owns and operates offices

in the United States, the Netherlands, Japan,

South Korea, Australia, Chile and Argentina.

They also own 70 stores worldwide.

Patagonia has always focused on making high-

performance products which leave the tiniest

footprint possible. While the footprint of their

full supply chain accounts for 97% of the

company’s carbon emissions, the emissions

associated with their owned and operated

facilities is just 3% — attesting to this highly

sustainable, eco-friendly practice. Put simply,

Patagonia has always emphasized cleaning up

their own house, and promoting that philosophy

through their products and messaging.

Along with that, Patagonia was using recycled

nylons and plastics for a good 25 years before it

became de rigeur in the fashion industry. They

began with plastic soda bottles in 1993,

becoming the first outdoor clothing

manufacturer to transform trash into fleece.

They turn unusable manufacturing waste and

worn-out garments into polyester fibers to

produce clothing such as hard shells,

boardshorts, fleece, and Capilene base layers.

This reduces the company’s dependence on

petroleum as a source of raw materials.

Polyester is an important fiber in Patagonia’s

clothing line. It allows them to build lightweight

materials that dry quickly and can be used in a

variety of applications, including trail-running

tops and yoga tights. It also blends well with

natural fabrics, such as cotton. However, it is the

ecological side that delivers the larger benefits:

for Fall 2020, 84% of their polyester fabrics are

made with recycled polyester, reducing CO2

emissions by 8% (or 11 million pounds)

compared to virgin polyester fabrics. In the

ocean, they turned 35 tons of plastic fishing net

into hat brims. Patagonia continually invests in

new technologies to make its supply chain and

products more sustainable.

Finally, Patagonia takes care of its suppliers

who take care of the earth. More than 550

farmers are part of their Regenerative Organic

Certification Pilot Cotton program, and 66,000

workers are supported by their participation in

the Fair Trade Program. ■

Baking Sustainable Practices into Fashion Choices