Our Environmental Impact Programs
Why
The apparel industry accounts for roughly 2% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Resources Institute. The cleaning and disposal of garments (too often in the landfill) adds to this impact, which is increasing as people buy more and more stuff and, in turn, exacerbating the climate crisis.
Where We Are
For years, we have been working within our own business and throughout our supply chain to reduce our environmental footprint. It’s still not enough.
We’re working toward 100% renewable energy for our globally owned and operated stores, offices and distribution centers. To reduce our product transportation footprint, which accounts for approximately 10% of our annual total emissions, we are increasing the use of drop-shipping (shipping directly from factories to international distribution centers), minimizing the need for inbound air shipments and reducing the need for two-day shipping options for customers. We also opened our East Coast Distribution Center in Pennsylvania in 2018, allowing us to reach 95% of the U.S. in three days without using air shipping.
To take further action to decarbonize our transportation emissions, Patagonia joined the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) along with other businesses to purchase zero-emissions maritime fuel in bulk. These zero-emission e-fuel shipping solutions are beyond what current regulation requires, but we’re willing to pay for the highest emission reductions available in the marketplace to help reach our climate goals. In 2024, Patagonia committed a portion of its maritime shipping volume to ZEMBA’s inaugural proposal for zero-emission shipping and will purchase the environmental credits associated with zero-emission shipping in 2025 and 2026.
But the real challenge in our environmental footprint comes from materials manufacturing, which accounts for approximately 99% of our emissions every year. We take responsibility for all of it and are determined to work with our partners and vendors to conserve water, remove toxins and reduce emissions whenever and wherever possible.
In 1996, we switched to using only organically grown cotton in all our products made from virgin cotton and are continuing to increase our use of preferred materials. By preferred materials, we mean raw materials like Regenerative Organic cotton or recycled polyester that have a reduced negative impact and/or increased benefits for the environment, animals and/or people, compared to their conventional equivalents. Preferred materials, including recycled inputs, make up over 80% of our line by weight—and are used across 99% of our products.
Over the years, we have cofounded or joined numerous progressive coalitions to change the industry, including the Fair Labor Association®, Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition) and B Lab. In doing so, we’ve collectively focused on improving the lives and workplaces for people across the globe, used data to identify the industry’s most pressing challenges, and ensured that we balance the needs of our business with those of society.
And there’s a role for our customers to play, too. We’re teaching people to take care of the things they already have (with as little energy as possible) and reminding them why taking care of the clothing the jacket they already have own is one of the best things they can do one for the planet. Learn more here.
What’s Next
As a company, we’ve never liked talking about things we’re going to do, only things we’ve done. We’ve made an exception for our climate goals, though, because we want everyone to hold us accountable. Here are three big milestones we’re working toward:
- We will eliminate virgin petroleum material as much as possible in our products and instead use preferred materials.
Preferred materials—to quote our partners at Textile Exchange—are fibers or raw materials that consistently deliver reduced impacts and increased benefits for climate, nature and people versus the conventional equivalent, through a holistic approach to transforming production systems. In 2018, when less than half of our materials were preferred, we hoped to get to 100% by 2025. Based on our most recent Fiscal Year 2025 data, 84% of our fabrics and trims are made with preferred materials, most of which are backed by third-party certifications.
Although our goal is to completely eliminate virgin petroleum fibers, we are not there yet—but we have made substantial progress and are now focused on finding better alternatives for the final stretch; this mostly includes coatings, trims and hard plastics and metals used in components like buckles and zippers. In select products, we will continue to use virgin inputs in small amounts because there is not yet a preferred material that can achieve the same durability and performance that meets our rigorous standards. Our challenge: identify preferred alternatives that meet our rigorous performance and durability standards. - By 2026, our packaging will be 100% recycled or easily recyclable.
By 2026, our packaging will be 100% recycled, FSC® or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified, and easily recyclable. We are on our way. We have joined Canopy’s Pack4Good initiative to ensure that none of the paper we’re using is sourced from ancient and endangered forests. For our hang tags and packaging, we are using algae ink, removing plastic and using QR code technology to reduce our packaging footprint. - By 2040, we will be net zero* across our entire business.
We’re working to reduce our footprint to the necessary 1.5°C pathway, first and foremost by making our products with less impact. Like the Nano Puff® Jacket, which in 2020 was changed to use 100% postconsumer recycled polyester insulation, cutting carbon emissions by nearly half, according to an internally commissioned Life Cycle Assessment. We are also targeting emissions where they happen—in our supply chain. We are funding energy and carbon audits, which will lead to meaningful impact-reduction projects at our most important supplier facilities. Once we’ve reduced a product and its supply chain to the lowest emissions possible, then we’ll invest in climate solutions to reach net zero. But we also know that’s not enough. The priority isn’t offsetting emissions—it’s eliminating them.
Want to learn more about our footprint-reduction goals? Click here.
* For all the climate nerds out there: We have committed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2040, meaning we will reduce our absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 90%. Our emissions reduction target to reach net zero was validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Our varying sources of emissions are broken into three categories: Scope 1 refers to greenhouse gas emissions that come from sources Patagonia directly controls, like emissions from on-site vehicles and on-site fuel combustion. Scope 2 refers to indirect greenhouse gas emissions caused by purchased electricity, heat or steam for our headquarters, retail stores and other owned and operated facilities. Scope 3 covers other indirect emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing and transportation of materials and finished goods that go into our products.
