Gallery: Patagonia’s New Super-Recycled Collection Is Super Impressive
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Patagonia's latest push into sustainably made and consumed clothing is the Re\\\\\\collection line. It includes 10 pieces total, between men's and women's garments.
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The look is classic Patagonia—tailored, yet cozy—but unlike the company’s other products, each piece sports 100 percent reused down, wool, and polyester. The labels, zippers, and buttons contain between 50 and 80 percent reclaimed material.
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That's not easy to pull off. The process is time consuming, and the output small.
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Secondhand materials tend to lack the strength and performance of their virgin counterparts. To make them fit for new garments, suppliers have to harvest, clean, and separate the reusable stuff from the chaff.
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Solutions could lie ahead. Imagine manufacturing a sweater with a built-in RFID tag that contains all the garment’s material details. Such a tag could make it instantly sortable, once it winds up at a Goodwill.
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That doesn't exist yet. But Patagonia’s prestige and consumer loyalty could help move the needle in the industry.
