Wool from sustainably raised sheep

Starting in late 2013, every single merino baselayer style by Patagonia Inc., including all merino socks, will be made with wool sustainably sourced from the grasslands of Patagonia in Argentina. The scheme will contribute to the regeneration of the Patagonian grasslands, reversing the current trend toward desertification.

Source: news article (2013)

'Nice' rating on Direct Mail Industry Scorecard

'Nice' rating on the 2009 Naughty/Nice List, the Scorecard on the Catalog and Direct Mail Industry by Forest Ethics. [Listed under information due to age of report]

Source: Forest Ethics (2009)

Rainforest Alliance honouree

This company won a 2018 Sustainable Standard-Setter Award from the Rainforest Alliance, which recognizes businesses that are working diligently to meet rigorous sustainability standards, protect the environment, and support local communities worldwide.

Source: Rainforest Alliance (2018)

Rainforest Alliance certified products

This company sells Rainforest Alliance certified natural rubber wetsuits. However this only represents a fraction of this company's total product sales. Rainforest Alliance certification has been dubbed 'Fairtrade light' by critics, as it offers producers no minimum price for their crop, and guarantees a minimum of just 30% of the product is certified.

Source: Rainforest Alliance (2020)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.

Source: We Mean Business (2021)

FLA Accredited

When joining the Fair Labor Association (FLA) this company committed to promoting and complying with international labor standards throughout their supply chain. The FLA does not accredit the company itself; rather, they accredit the company's labor compliance program. Being granted accreditation implies that their workplace standards program is substantially in compliance with the FLA Code.

Source: Fair Labor Association (2016)

Fairtrade products

Patagonia are working with Fair Trade USA to offer Fair Trade Certified™ apparel in 2014.

Source: Fair Trade USA (2013)

Repair manuals online

Some companies intentionally make their repair manuals unavailable, sabotaging local repair shops and forcing consumers to buy new products. This company makes its repair manuals available online.

Source: iFixit (2017)

Uzbek Cotton Pledge signatory

This company signed the Uzbek Cotton Pledge with the Responsible Sourcing Network, signifying a public commitment to not knowingly source Uzbek cotton for the manufacturing of any of their products until the Government of Uzbekistan ends the practice of forced labor in its cotton sector. However the Pledge was lifted in March 2022 after the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, who monitored the annual cotton harvest since 2010, found no state-imposed forced labor in the 2021 harvest.

Source: Cotton Campaign (2022)

Fur free

This company has announced that they don't sell animal fur or are phasing in a fur-free policy.

Source: Humane Society (2019)

Use of RDS-certified down

This company has committed to making products with RDS-certified down. The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) is an independent, voluntary global standard which ensures that down and feathers come from ducks and geese that have been treated well, with no live plucking or force feeding. However the RDS has been criticised by PETA, who claim live plucking still occurs at RDS farms. (https://bit.ly/3TAiNB6)

Source: RDS (2022)

Use of non-mulesed wool

Brands owned by this company are listed in Human Society International Australia's Better Wool Guide as using 100% non-mulesed wool from a robust certification scheme, or has a time-bound commitment to do so. Mulesing is the controversial practice of removing strips of the skin of a lamb's rear and is often done without pain relief. In Australia, the only country where mulesing still occurs, an estimated 10 million merino lambs are subjected to mulesing each year - equivalent to 19 lambs per minute.

Source: HSI Australia (2024)

Sustainability claims

This company has extensive sustainability claims on its website in the areas of regenerative agriculture, fair trade, using recycled materials, supply chain and climate change.

Source: company website (2020)

EOCA member

This company is a member of the European Outdoor Conservation Association, a non-profit charitable organisation which supports conservation work by raising funds from within the European Outdoor sector and promoting care and respect for wild places.

Source: EOCA (2021)

Textile Exchange member

This company is a member of the Textile Exchange, a global non-profit that works closely with its members to drive textile industry transformation in preferred fibres, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. They identify and share best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry's impact on the world's water, soil and air, and the human population.

Source: Textile Exchange (2019)

CanopyStyle member

This company is a member of the CanopyStyle initiative, which came about when research found that millions of trees are used every year to produce dissolving pulp, a key ingredient for fabrics such as rayon/viscose. The campaign seeks to phase out the use of endangered forest fibre in fabric.

Source: Canopy (2018)

Sustainable Apparel Coalition member

This company is a founding member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in March 2011 by a group of global apparel and footwear companies and non-profit organizations (representing nearly one third of the global market share for apparel and footwear). The Coalition's goals are to reduce the apparel industry's environmental and social impact, and to develop a universal index to measure environmental and social performance of apparel products.

Source: Sustainable Apparel Coalition (2023)

GC3 member (Green Chemistry)

This company is a member of the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3), a business-to-business forum that advances the application of green chemistry and design for environment across supply chains. It provides an open forum for cross-sectoral collaboration to share information and experiences about the challenges to and opportunities for safer chemicals and products.

Source: GC3 (2019)

Better Work Partner

This company is a partner of Better Work, an initiative of the UN's International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation which brings diverse groups together - governments, global brands, factory owners, and unions and workers - to improve working conditions in the garment industry and make the sector more competitive.

Source: Better Work (2020)

bluesign member

The bluesign Standard sets "best practices" for the use of chemicals and resources - including water and energy - in the textile industry. Textile manufacturers who are bluesign system partners agree to establish management systems to improve environmental performance in five key areas of the production process: resource productivity, consumer safety, water emissions, air emissions, and occupational health and safety. They regularly report their progress, are subject to on-site audits, and must meet improvement goals to maintain their status.

Source: bluesign (2021)

23/100 in What Fuels Fashion?

What Fuels Fashion? is a single-issue, special edition of the Fashion Transparency Index. The 2024 report ranked 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers according to their level of disclosure on climate and energy-related data in their own operations and supply chains. Brands owned by this company scored 23%. The average score was 18% and the highest score was 75%.

Source: Fashion Revolution (2024)

Modern Slavery statement

California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.

Source: company website (2017)

BHRRC company profile

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.

Source: BHRRC (2022)

Green Outdoor Gear profile

Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth Melbourne has created a website which profiles outdoor gear companies and rates them according to a range of sustainability criteria. Follow the link to see this company's profile.

Source: Green Outdoor Gear (2011)