Eco-friendly Clothing with a Conscience

Enlarge Image Image Gallery A Sinchilla® fleece pullover woven from post-consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. Patagonia estimates it saves a whole barrel of oil for every 150 of these garments manufactured. Courtesy of Patagonia

Patagonia’s Eco-Attire Protects You— and the Environment

A trusty pair of walking shorts, perfectly seasoned blue jeans, a cheerfully loud Hawaiian shirt: Our favorite piece of clothing is often made of cotton.

Many people choose cotton clothing for its soft, natural feel, but is cotton truly “the fabric of our lives?” A peek into the cotton industry reveals farming practices that chemically sterilize the soil, drench cotton plants with insecticides, defoliants, and synthetic fertil­izers, and expose workers and the environment to dangerous toxic substances. And studies indicate that it takes about one-third of a pound of harmful chemicals to grow enough cotton for one T-shirt.

Fortunately, there is a better choice: organic cotton that is grown using safe, nontoxic farming methods. Natural fertilizers and compost enrich the soil, beneficial bugs control pests, and hand weeding gives cotton plants room to flourish. As consumers learn about this alternative, experts contend, they will demand clothing with less environmental impact, and organic cotton will become more widely available.

Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company that has built its reputation on durable, high-performance products, is determined to affect change in the cotton industry. In 1996, this maverick converted its entire line of cotton sportswear to 100-percent-certified organic cotton to support the growing market for softer, safer clothing. Coincidentally, it also located its headquarters in Ventura, California, just three hours from the state’s Central Valley, one of the largest cotton-­producing areas in the world.

“. . . forward-thinking companies like Patagonia are discovering that the principles of harmony and balance that govern the natural world also are key components of sustainable enterprise.”