Patagonia Brodeo Beanie

Although we’ve been using recycled polyester in our garments for 20 years, for some reason locked deep in polymer chemistry, nylon is more difficult to recycle than polyester. After years of research, development, and testing, we’re finally finding some recycled nylon fibers that are suitable for apparel.

Some of the recycled nylon we use comes from post-industrial waste fiber, yarn collected from a spinning factory, and waste from the weaving mills that can be processed into reusable nylon fiber.

We’re diligently searching for a success story with recycled nylon. The challenge lies ahead of us, and we’re committed to discovering the best methods to recycle nylon fiber, but it appears this evolution will take many years.

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One of the ways we can lessen the impact of wool production is to recycle used wool.

The practice of recycling wool dates back hundreds of years. After wool sweaters had been worn threadbare, they were collected and shredded into individual fibers and then converted into blankets.

Patagonia’s recycled wool comes from this same process. Aided by modern-day quality controls, the wool goes through a meticulous sorting of materials into color categories prior to shredding. By selecting and blending colors of dyed wool fabrics and garments, we can completely eliminate the dyeing process, saving water and chemicals and eliminating the resulting wastewater.

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