To us, quality means more than how a garment looks or functions: It also includes the way it affects the environment and quality of life. This means working to source materials and develop processes that minimize damage to the environment.

In 1993, we adopted fleece into our product line made from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. We 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, we saved some 86 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, we're 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. We now recycle used soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments into polyester fibers to produce many of our clothes. We've also started the world's first garment recycling program – bring us your old, worn-out Capilene baselayer, Patagonia fleece or Polartec® fleece (from any maker) and we'll make a new polyester garment from it using an innovative process developed by our friends at TEJIN.

Benefits of recycled 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