Patagonia

Founded in 1973 by climber Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia has always sought to protect our natural world while developing clothing and gear responsibly to enjoy it with a minimal footprint. Patagonia continues to experiment by developing innovative products, finding solutions to the clothing industry’s footprint, and supporting grassroots environmental activism.

Patagonia has set itself a bold mission: doing business to save the planet.

Patagonia wants to act now to save our planet, so we can all continue to enjoy outdoor activities that foster a deepening connection with nature.

1% for he Planet

Patagonia first pledged to donate 1% of its sales to the conservation and restoration of natural environments in 1985. Since then, it has donated more than $145 million to national and international environmental groups that are making a difference in their communities.

Wanting to go further, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, along with Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, founded 1% for the Planet, a nonprofit that encourages other companies to give back.

Fair Trade

Patagonia believes that caring for the planet also means caring for people.

Patagonia pays a premium for every Fair Trade Certified product that carries its label. This money directly helps improve the lives of workers in the factories that produce its clothing. Instead of the money being filtered down from the top, each factory that participates in the program elects a democratic Fair Trade committee of workers who then decide how the money is spent. Projects range from health programs and childcare centers to cash bonuses.

Fair Trade also promotes health and safety, and compliance with labor and environmental standards by encouraging dialogue between workers and management.

Worn Wear

Patagonia knows that the best thing we can do for the planet is to reduce our consumption by making the most of what we already have.

To help you extend the life of your clothes, Patagonia launched Worn Wear in 2013, which aims to keep clothes, regardless of brand, in circulation for as long as possible by washing them correctly and repairing them as best as possible.

And if you do need to buy a new piece of clothing, Patagonia makes the highest quality and most functional products with a lifetime warranty.

Patagonia Action Works

To make its sustainability values accessible to everyone, and at a time of unprecedented environmental threat, Patagonia created Action Works, a digital platform that connects its community with grassroots organizations working to save the planet.

The platform enables people to support environmental causes, volunteer their time and skills, participate in events, sign petitions and donate to conservation causes.