The program is up and running. In September 2005, we began taking back worn-out Capilene® baselayers. In January 2007, we expanded the program to include more garments (see below).

• Patagonia fleece (including Synchilla® and Regulator® insulation)
• Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers
• Capilene baselayers
• Patagonia cotton T-shirts

Buttons, zippers and snaps do not need to be removed in advance. They come off in the recycling process.

To find a comprehensive list of this season's garments that are recyclable via the Common Threads Recycling program, simply enter "recyclable" into the online search field on Patagonia.com.

Once the garment is so worked that no one would ever wear it again, give it to us.

We'll take back clothing from any season, no matter how old.

Many of our Body products contain nylon, and therefore are not recyclable using our current technology.

Yes, please. The garments need to be sanitary in order for our employees to accept them.

We can accept Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers, but at this time we can only recycle Capilene baselayers and cotton T-shirts from Patagonia. We hope other companies will initiate similar recycling programs so that even more garments can avoid the landfill.

Simply give us your clean, worn-out garments in one of the following ways:

• Mail them to:
  Patagonia Service Center
  Attention: Common Threads Recycling Program
  8550 White Fir St.
  Reno, NV 89523
• Drop them off at the Patagonia Retail Store nearest you or at one of our Performance Baselayer Dealers. (But please avoid making a special trip - see next question.)

We recommend mailing them to our Service Center in Reno or to the Patagonia retail store or dealer closest to you. Dropping off your garments at a store is a good option - especially if you're walking, biking or taking public transit. But if you choose to drive to a store location just to drop off your garment, the fuel you use could negate much of the energy saved by recycling.

Our goal is to expand the program to eventually include all Patagonia polyester garments and many of our nylon and natural-fiber garments.

1. Garments collected at our stores or dealer stores are shipped to our Service Center in Reno, Nevada.
2. Once we've collected enough garments, we ship them to Japan on container ships. (These ships usually travel back to Japan empty, so the incremental environmental impact of shipping the garments is minimal.)
3. New polyester fiber is made using a fiber-to-fiber recycling process.
4. The new polyester fiber is used to make new garments. We are constantly finding ways to incorporate recycled fiber in our products. To find a complete list of garments we make with recycled content, simply enter "recycled" into the online search field on patagonia.com.

They will be used to make recycled polyester fiber for new clothing; products like Capilene baselayer, R1® Jackets and Synchilla® Marsupials.

Since 1993 Patagonia has been making fleece from recycled plastics, such as soda bottles and plastic shower curtains. Over the years, we have expanded our "recycled" offering to include polyester shells, running shorts and even jeans made with hemp-poly blends. To find a comprehensive list of this season's garments using recycled fiber, simply enter "recycled" into the online search field on patagonia.com.

Our production cycle is approximately 18 months, so garments collected today will be included in selected Patagonia products sold a year-and-a-half from now.

1. The garments are cut into small pieces. Zippers and buttons are separated from the fabric.
2. The fabric is granulated and formed into small pellets.
3. The pellets are broken down to the molecular level and purified to produce raw material for polyester.
4. The raw material is polymerized and turned into polyester chips.
5. The chips are melted and spun into new filament fiber.
6. The fiber is used to make new polyester fabrics.

They're recycled in Matsuyama, Japan, at a recycling facility operated by TEIJIN Fibers Limited.

TEIJIN Fibers Limited is a fabric manufacturer that has supplied Patagonia for close to 15 years. TEIJIN developed the ECOCIRCLE™ recycling system we're using in the Common Threads Recycling Program. The company also supplies us with the recycled-filament polyester fabrics used in the Eco Torrentshell Jacket and various other products.

Yes. Research shows that the environmental impact of using worn-out clothing to make new polyester fiber is significantly lower than making that same fiber from virgin materials derived from petroleum. By diverting worn-out garments from landfills, we reduce solid waste. Diverting them from incinerators results in an energy savings of 76% and a CO2 emissions [greenhouse gas] reduction of 71%. Garments made with recycled fibers use 50-100% less virgin polyester, which reduces our use of oil.

Compared with making polyester from virgin materials, using recycled fiber in the production of new polyester helps divert waste from landfills, uses less energy and generates fewer CO2 emissions. However, the transportation required to move garments from customers' closets to Patagonia collection centers to the recycling facility in Japan mitigates some of those energy and emissions savings. The greatest environmental impact in this process comes from customers transporting their garments to our stores and other collection facilities. Third-party research shows that shipping garments to Japan does not pose a significant environmental impact, because they go on container ships that usually travel empty to Japan. To help minimize the environmental impact, we encourage customers to mail us their worn-out garments or drop them off at a Patagonia store or dealer while running other errands.

Yes. Since the recycling process breaks the fiber down to the basic building blocks of polyester (monomers), there is no difference in quality.

No. They are completely purified. Patagonia garments made from recycled fiber are equal in quality to virgin-polyester garments - and superior when you factor in the environmental impact.

At this time only Patagonia cotton T-shirts are recyclable. As the program evolves, we hope to add more cotton products to the list of recyclables.

1. Customers return their worn-out Patagonia cotton T-shirts to us by mail or by dropping them off at a Patagonia store or selected dealer.
2. We ship them to our Service Center in Reno, Nevada.
3. Once we've collected enough garments, they are shipped to Italy on container ships.
4. There they are mechanically processed into new cotton yarn, which is used to make cotton sweatshirts and other products.

Calamai is our recycling partner for cotton T-shirts. They are a family owned company based in Italy that has been recycling wool for more than a century.