It’s not easy for a billion-dollar clothing brand to make a splash on climate issues. Is Patagonia Sustainable? (updated September 2022)
The outdoor clothing brand has a strong reputation for climate activism and sustainability prowess. We wanted to learn more about Patagonia’s sustainability, so we put it to the Sustainable Review test.
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The scoop: Patagonia is a forward-thinking billion-dollar brand. But there is always work to be done. Let’s see how they chalk up.
Is Patagonia sustainable?
Patagonia uses primarily recycled materials.
They have a lifetime return and repair program for all of their products.
Patagonia still uses animals in its supply chain, but they try to do it responsibly. I’d rather see no animal use.
They are slightly above average when it comes to labor conditions.
Patagonia looks to go carbon neutral by 2025.
In September 2022, their founder donated non-voting shares of the company, amounting to $3 billion, toward a climate pledge trust. All Patagonia profits are now dedicated to climate change causes.
Zoom out: Patagonia hits on the environmental side, but they have some work to do operationally, especially regarding transparency & ethics surrounding suppliers and animal welfare. No corporation is perfect; Patagonia is one of the best.
Dig deeper → 3 min
Patagonia founder story
Patagonia was founded in 1973 by alpinist Yvon Chouinard, whose anti-business philosophies catapulted the California company into an unprecedented success. He’s as passionate about the outdoors as anyone can be.
His dedication to perfection led Chouinard to design better gear for mountain climbing at a young age. This ‘obsession for better’ morphed Patagonia into the coastal cultural icon we know so well today.
In September 2022, Chouinard and his family forfeited $3 billion worth of their non-voting shares in Patagonia to open a climate change-focused trust. Going forward, Patagonia’s estimated $100 million worth of annual profits will be dedicated to climate change mitigation efforts through multiple nonprofit and organization funding.
In Chouinard’s own words, “Earth is now our only shareholder.”
Company size & industry standard
It’s important to review Patagonia’s sustainability relative to industry and size. This does not ignore its inevitable impact on negative externalities, like the process of making shells or the presence of traceable down in their winter jackets. It primarily serves as a point of comparison.
According to Bloomberg, Patagonia has annual revenue of over $1 billion. Patagonia is also part of the apparel industry, notorious for workers’ rights violations, animal abuse, and environmental degradation. If Patagonia is sustainable, they are one of few within the clothing industry.
Sustainable material assessment
Today, the American clothing company continues to turn the garment industry on its head with its shift toward 100% renewable and recycled raw materials, lifetime repair guarantees, and a fair-trade certification for factory workers.
Their products are high-quality and comfortable, and when it gets old and weary, they’ll fix them for free. I am a pleased customer of Patagonia’s grey fleece, an emblem of my Autumn adventures. The cushiony coat provides warmth without weight, and it is flexible for mild and cold weather alike. But we’re not here to talk about quality.
Animal welfare
At the time of publication, Patagonia has no formal animal welfare policy. They continue to use leather and exotic animal hair in some of their products, but they do source their wool from non-mulesed sheep (more ethical treatment of sheep).
The Responsible Down Standard backs Patagonia down. The outdoor clothing brand does not use angora, fur, or exotic animal skin in its products.
I think there is room to grow here. I don’t see why a company committed to sustainability shouldn’t look for vegan alternatives whenever possible.
The West Coast clothing maker has committed to carbon neutrality by 2025. 97% of their carbon emissions come from their supply chain, and 86% come from raw materials and their supply chains.
In their retail stores, distribution centers, regional/global offices, and headquarters, Patagonia uses 100% renewable electricity in the US and 76% globally.
The key for Patagonia: reduce or eliminate virgin materials. Focus exclusively on recycled materials. It doesn’t eliminate carbon emissions, but it drastically reduces them. It also reduces water use and keeps plastic out of landfills and oceans.
Transparency & Ethics
Conscious consumerism is built into the company ethos, and they do not shy away from that in their marketing. Patagonia, at one point, intentionally slowed its growth to ensure sustainability was on track. I wouldn’t put Patagonia in the slow fashion category, but they are nowhere near fast fashion.
Labor conditions
Patagonia scored a 60% on the Fashion Transparency Index 2020. Information is available regarding Patagonia’s list of suppliers and any related audits about workers’ rights from those suppliers, especially those closer to the final production stage.
Parts of Patagonia’s supply chain are certified by the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct and Fair Trade USA.
A project is underway at Patagonia to improve wages within its supply chain, but we are still waiting for tangible results. There are certainly more problematic companies regarding labor conditions, but Patagonia still has some work to do in this area.
Patagonia’s transparency to its customer is admirable, and we, the younglings, can only hope that other corporations in this historically troubled industry will follow in its footsteps.
Ongoing evaluation
Is Patagonia sustainable?
Based on their willingness to innovate, yes. I’d consider Patagonia sustainable. Most importantly, this company is dedicated to active participation in the sustainability movement. It is not easy for a billion-dollar brand to make this much noise on climate issues.
Patagonia is far from perfect, but they are much higher on the scale than any of its core competitors with similar revenue. Curious to see how they improve more over the next five to ten years.
Jared Wolf is Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Sustainable Review Media. Jared is a marketer, content creator, and climate change optimist committed to demystifying sustainability.After a short stint on Wall Street in 2018, Jared joined Venture for America, a top fellowship program for aspiring young entrepreneurs, to pursue social impact.Since then, he has published over 150 articles spanning climate and sustainability, dedicating his time to crafting scientifically-accurate, apolitical content around sensitive climate topics.Sustainable Review is designed to create a healthier, happier climate conversation through earth-conscious, honest independent media.
Patagonia is one of the most environmentally conscious brands, not only for its use of recycled fabrics, but for all the programs it has implemented to lower its ecological impact.
Since 87% of Patagonia products are made with recycled materials, and they continue to improve on this and their transparent about it, it's pretty easy to call them one of the most sustainable outdoor apparel brands when it comes to their materials.
A high proportion of its materials are made from recycled fabrics, including its polyester, nylon, and wool. Most importantly, Patagonia's business model is different: it rejects fast fashion by creating high-quality, long-lasting products, and offers a repair and reuse program.
Patagonia's self-imposed Earth tax, 1% for the Planet, provides support to environmental nonprofits working to defend our air, land and water around the globe. Patagonia's self-imposed Earth tax, 1% for the Planet, provides support to environmental nonprofits working to defend our air, land and water around the globe.
Patagonia and The North Face both have a wide range of outerwear made from sustainable fabrics, however Patagonia has 7% more items made from recycled fabrics. Not only does Patagonia use recycled fabrics, but it also produces items in a more environmentally and ethically conscious way.
On September 14, 2022, Patagonia announced its new corporate structure giving away 98% of its stocks on a non-profit. 100% of electricity in its US facilities is from renewable sources. 98% of Patagonia's product lines use recycled materials. More Than 70 Patagonia Stores Worldwide.
Patagonia facilitates the repair and reuse of its clothing first and then, when it's really at the end of its life, will take it back for recycling. They'll use it to make some other product or figure out another way to recycle it.
To enforce robust quality-of-life requirements for the birds who supply these feathers, and especially to help protect against force-feeding and live-plucking, the virgin down that Patagonia uses in our sleeping bags is traced from parent farm to final fiber processing facility, protecting the birds under the Advanced ...
But the main reason why Patagonia is famous around the world is because of its landscapes, vast forest, natural reserves, national parks, glaciers and native wildlife. Patagonia is called a region that combines many provinces and all of them have different attractions.
We hold our suppliers (and ourselves) to the highest environmental and social standards in the industry. We lean on industry tools and standards to manage this process, and when rigorous enough standards don't exist, we create them.
Patagonia is also part of the apparel industry, notorious for workers' rights violations, animal abuse, and environmental degradation. If Patagonia is sustainable, they are one of few within the clothing industry.
We will use only renewable or recycled materials in our products by 2025. Remember how we said most of our emissions come from virgin materials? This one is big. While using recycled fibers doesn't eliminate carbon emissions, they do reduce them by 44 to 80% (depending on fiber type).
Recycling is central to Patagonia's sustainability efforts. As Johnson said, “recycling is an important and critical part of the waste pollution out there”. Patagonia recycles its own products and uses recycled materials for new products.
Patagonia is an apparel retailer known for its upscale outdoor clothing and various environmental sustainability efforts. The company continues to grow by offering products that are designed to last.
However, when it comes to things like camping gear and bags, North Face offers a much wider product range. North Face also has a significantly larger product line when it comes to affordable, casual clothing. Patagonia, on the other hand, offers little in the way of cheaper, everyday attire and workwear.
Strengthen the Movement. Patagonia has long supported grassroots groups on the front lines of the environmental crisis. In the last five years, we've given nearly $14 million to groups working to slow climate change.
Patagonia placed itself in a virtuous cycle that serves as its greatest competitive advantage. Perceptions of social responsibility increase sales, escalating the risk of non-compliance, which strengthens adherence and self-binding to social commitments, which grow these same perceptions and sales again.
Patagonia funds only environmental work. We give grants to organizations that identify the root causes of problems and approach issues with a commitment to long-term change.
Sweden is known for being one of the most sustainable countries in the world, with low carbon dioxide emissions and strong renewable energy programs. Sweden's government has pledged to be fossil fuel-free and running 100% on renewable energy by 2045.
The new material, called NetPlus, is a fully traceable, 100 percent recycled plastic that's made from discarded nets found in Chile and Argentina. The project benefits local fisherman by providing financial incentives and benefits our planet by repurposing 71,000 pounds of waste per year.
So how environmentally friendly is The North Face? While Patagonia uses 7% more recycled materials in its supply chain, North Face is committed to a circular design, reducing CO2 emissions by half by 2030, and eliminating plastic packaging by 2025 (by packaging items with recyclable materials).
Audience composition can reveal a site's current market share across various audiences. patagonia.com's audience is 51.11% male and 48.89% female. The largest age group of visitors are 25 - 34 year olds (Desktop).
Patagonia has been a staple brand for outdoor activities and fashion lovers for decades, creating high-quality, technical gear that's built to last. Patagonia uses primarily recycled materials, which are commonplace in the collection. Although it doesn't come with a designer price tag, it's still not cheap.
Patagonia provides DIY Repair & Care Guides for their products to keep gear going for a long time. They want to keep their products out of landfills, even if it means you keep your products longer. They are not looking to sell you products that break down quickly so they can make another sale.
The main competitors of Patagonia are Columbia Sportswear, Marmot, Arc'teryx, and REI [1]. The North Face is another well-known outdoor clothing and gear competitor of Patagonia that produces various products for outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding.
1. Eileen Fisher. Eileen Fisher is a renowned American fashion designer known for her minimalist, sustainable and comfortable designs. Her brand, EILEEN FISHER, Inc., was founded in 1984 and has since become a leader in ethical and eco-conscious fashion.
Today, our materials team uses recycled polyester made from used soda bottles and unusable manufacturing waste to create new polyester fibers for clothing. And our extensive field testing shows it performs just as well, if not better, as gear made from virgin polyester.
Their products come with a lifetime guarantee and Patagonia encourages customers to repair old items rather than replace them. They have the largest clothing repair facility in North America and a truck that travels the United States repairing clothing — whether it was made by Patagonia or anyone else.
Patagonia engages in a range of due-diligence activities to promote and sustain fair labor practices, safe working conditions and environmental responsibility in the finished-goods factories (Tier 1) that make our products.
Patagonia's Customer Loyalty score was rated the highest by customers who have used Patagonia's products/services for Over 10 Years, and the lowest by customers with Less than 1 Year of usage.
We don't want someone who can just do a job; we want the best person for the job. Yet we don't look for “stars” seeking special treatment and perks. Our best efforts are collaborative, and the Patagonia culture rewards the ensemble player while it barely tolerates those who need the limelight.
A high proportion of its materials are made from recycled fabrics, including its polyester, nylon, and wool. Most importantly, Patagonia's business model is different: it rejects fast fashion by creating high-quality, long-lasting products, and offers a repair and reuse program.
Patagonia and The North Face both have a wide range of outerwear made from sustainable fabrics, however Patagonia has 7% more items made from recycled fabrics. Not only does Patagonia use recycled fabrics, but it also produces items in a more environmentally and ethically conscious way.
A few of our nylon products are made from recycled nylon. Patagonia also relies on gas and oil to ship its products: please see our blog posting on manufacturing, that includes mention of shipping and carbon footprints.
The Chouinards then donated the other 98 percent of Patagonia, its common shares, to a newly established nonprofit organization called the Holdfast Collective, which will now be the recipient of all the company's profits and use the funds to combat climate change.
The virgin down that Patagonia sources for our sleeping bags is traced from parent farm to final fiber processing facility. The percentage of virgin down we source for our sleeping bags that is certified by NSF International to meet the Advanced Global Traceable Down Standard.
Its social auditing program covering its entire final production stage is accredited by Fair Labor Association (FLA). It received a score of 41-50% in the 2022 Fashion Transparency Index.
Our product line accounts for more than 90 percent of our total carbon emissions. While Patagonia has long used materials with lower environmental impacts, we haven't been able to stop using fossil fuels altogether.
Patagonia is also part of the apparel industry, notorious for workers' rights violations, animal abuse, and environmental degradation. If Patagonia is sustainable, they are one of few within the clothing industry.
The owner of Patagonia has faced backlash after giving his $3 billion company to a climate crisis non-profit organization. Yvon Chouinard, 83, founded the US outdoor clothing retailer in 1973. He announced recently that any profit not reinvested in the company would be used to fight the climate crisis.
No, Patagonia is not 100% cruelty-free. The brand uses leather, wool from non-mulesed sheep, and animal hair for its products to make them more durable.
Based on experience who a person that already work at Patagonia's, Patagonia's has a great company culture from the highest levels down to the bottom but it also retail position and it come with all of the drawbacks. It is such as repetitive work, long hours on your feet and the occasional rude customer.
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