Our Industry Has Carbon Issues
Most clothes are made using energy from coal-fueled power plants, which adds warming gases into the air we breathe and accelerates the climate crisis. In just one year, the clothing industry will contribute 1.2 billion tons of CO₂ emissions—that’s as much as international flights and maritime shipping combined.
We’re letting go of virgin materials.
Extracting and processing virgin materials takes a toll on the land, water and air. To do our part, Patagonia is moving toward 100% renewable and recycled raw materials. By using both synthetic and natural fibers made from pre-consumer and postconsumer waste, we are limiting our dependence on raw materials and reducing carbon emissions.
Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothing every year.
The percentage of our raw materials by weight in Fall 2023 made with recycled inputs (another 10% are renewable).
Our Postconsumer Recycling
Postconsumer refers to any finished product that has been used and then diverted from landfills at the end of its life. This term includes anything you throw in the recycling bin at home or at designated textile-collection bins, as well as used fishing nets, carpet and other consumer goods that can be recycled into textiles.
Our Pre-Consumer Recycling
Also referred to as “postindustrial,” pre-consumer waste—for example, fabric scraps or yarn waste from weaving mills and spinning factories—is created during the manufacturing process. Sometimes, as when recycling postindustrial cotton, the recycled yarn is mixed with other materials, like polyester, to ensure there is no loss in performance.