Patagonia was originally Chouinard Equipment has been known as an outdoor clothing brand that always takes care of our beloved earth by implementing a sustainability in every aspect. The mission of the company is to create the best products, not to cause unnecessary harm and to use business to inspire and implement solutions to environmental crises.
The company was founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973 and after bankruptcy in 1989, the company was divided into two, namely Black Diamond Equipment, which specialized in selling climbing equipment, and the Patagonia company which sells clothing. The logo is the outline of Fitz Roy Mountain in Patagonia, South America, which is the border of the two countries in the region, Chile and Argentina.
Patagonia and Bluesign® Certificates
The company is always trying to take action to reduce environmental impacts, for example, all their cotton is certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and they have a bluesign® certificate for 56% of the fabric they use. They are the first company in the world to follow these standards since 2000 and are followed by other well-known brands such as North Face, Kathmandu, Adidas, Brooks, and Outerknown.
Bluesign aims to find solutions for sustainable textile production by removing hazardous substances at every step of the supply chain and approving chemicals, processes, materials, and products that are safe for the environment, workers and customers.
Chemicals are divided into three categories:
-Blue means safe to use
– Gray means special handling is needed
– Black means banned chemicals
Most of their ingredients are made from recycled fabrics, including polyester, nylon, and their wool. This company is part of the sustainable apparel coalition and 1% for the Planet.
Yvon Chouinard is one of the founding members of One Percent for Planet, an organization that encourages other businesses to do the same. Patagonia also allows its customers to recycle and reuse clothing among fellow users through the “Common Threads” project.
They reject fast mode by creating high-quality and durable products and offering repairs and reuse programs. They even went so far as to make customers not to buy too many products from them. The advertisement they made in 2011 with the tagline Don’t buy this Jacket try to support not to be a victim of the fast fashion industry.
This company has a good workforce policy and even received the second highest ranking in the 2017 Ethical Fashion Report, which sees the payment of decent wages, transparency, and empowerment of workers. The Supplier Code of Conduct is recognized as a breakthrough because they track and audit almost all of their facilities, publish a list of their suppliers and ensure that each subcontract complies with the code standards they have set.
This company has strong animal welfare policies for example not using angora, skin or fur in their products and openly advocating for animal welfare. They use recycled wool and fur that has been accredited by Global Traceable Down Standard.
Patagonia Action Works
The company created a new digital platform that aims to connect people and nonprofit organizations to the environment, help them get involved through events, petitions, and volunteer. The company hopes this new platform can connect communities directly with local groups working on issues they like, for example, if you are a Kayaker in Cincinnati, you can find a nonprofit that protects one of the watersheds in the area. Until now, Patagonia is an environmental activist company and supports the sustainable fashion industry.