A passion for outdoor activities, fishing in Tierra del Fuego | Photograph by Doug Tompkins
Are you doing all that at Patagonia?
We're switching all our nylon to something called Nylon 6, which can be recycled infinitely. We're recycling cotton; we're recycling wool. We send polyester back to Japan, where it gets melted down into its original polymer. Of course, the best thing to do is make clothing so it never wears out, right?
You've also talked to car companies.
Ford came to us once and wanted to use the Patagonia brand on a hybrid SUV. Well, the last thing we want is a Ford SUV with Patagonia on it. But we said, What the hell? If Ford Motor Co. joins One Percent, we'll do it. Everybody's got a price, you know? [A Ford spokesman denies the company approached Patagonia but confirms there were internal discussions about doing so.] I think there are no absolutes. There's no such thing as sustainability. It's just kind of a path you get on and try -- each day try to make it better.
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Recent Comments | 12 Total
July 5, 2009 at 8:18pm by Manjit Syven Birk
This article reinforced my existing beliefs, which for me is really good, for I think we are too consumed with what's new and what's innovative. Just trying stuff out and operating in an authentic but value creating manner can only be IMHO as true as we know we personally are; for it is so easy to get caught up in the lasso of our own expressions and then find out that we are tethered to expectations of the past rather than self-discovery for a smarter present. The biggest thing we trade today are our own ego's, so I will go further than Chouinard here, that success here requires even more than reframing towards a market or commercial or price/value attitude, it should also serve to elucidate an executive leaders legacy. M.
July 13, 2009 at 12:26pm by Alice Korngold
Excellent article. Thank you.
July 13, 2009 at 2:28pm by Bradley Doe
Very interesting post. Like you always do :)
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July 13, 2009 at 6:08pm by Stacy Holtmann
"to use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."
What a great way to look at business! As a recent graduate from a business school and as a passionate environmentalist I have been trying to find the perfect way to fuse the two together. My dilemma came from the fact that the business model is based on increasing amounts of consumerism, which is a disturbing thought. It is companies like Patagonia that keep me positive even if the future of our environment leaves mostly pessimism.
July 13, 2009 at 6:27pm by Anna Ghosh
Very much appreciated this article but the headline is misleading. Yvon said "we're a long way from having a sustain-able society," not that there's no such thing as sustainability. Two very different things.
July 14, 2009 at 3:38am by Vlad Polishchuk
Really good article.
I also travel a lot and see huge difference in eco-impact in cities and outside of it: we create a lot of eco-destroying stuff in cities: garbage, energy consumption. cars in jams...
BUT WE DO NOT FEEL THAT!
Why?
- we live there constantly and just get used to things going this way.
- there's an army of cleaners and waste disposal companies that take all the waste .... somewhere. How may people thinl where?
- we are just too busy with our other-very-important-things, like jobs, meetings, presentations, home improvements, personal beauty improvements and so on
but when i go rural, that is the place where everything is becoming clear...
guys, we have a problem on Earth here... it's a way to self-and-other-spices-elimination!!!
July 20, 2009 at 6:29am by Fabian Pattberg
This is a great article, Thanks for sharing.
The only thing I am not sure about is the negativity by the founder. I believe it is of the highest importance to stay positive and make what is possible to change our ways, force companies to be more responsible and drive a sustainable economy. Then we can succeed I believe.
July 20, 2009 at 11:49am by David Adams
What a somber article! A man who has created one of the most "sustainable" feeling brands recognizes the paradox of sustainable consumerism. It boils down to the need to "inspire" a change in consumer tastes, and marketers have a part in this, but being part of a 1% tax wont do it. Consumer facing, it could inspire as much damage as good. Still, God bless his pragmatism and ambition, for being a leader and aligning his organization to a huge challenge. I hope they succeed and tip the ratio and turn Patagonia into a company that has a net neutral or + on the environment, if there is such a thing. I know I face the same paradox as an individual, and fail almost everyday.
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July 21, 2009 at 5:44am by Brandon Hensinger
Thank you for this article. As the founder of an adventure travel company, I look to Yvon Chouinard for inspiration and love when I find new articles on him such as this. I love that he is trying to help Wal-Mart...thank you for Yvon for helping!
July 21, 2009 at 5:45am by Brandon Hensinger
Thank you for this article. As the founder of an adventure travel company, I look to Yvon Chouinard for inspiration and love when I find new articles on him such as this. I love that he is trying to help Wal-Mart...thank you for Yvon for helping! North Carolina Rock Climbing, International Expeditions, Team Building, and Leadership Development
November 23, 2009 at 9:57pm by Cindy Lou
A really inspirational story. I'd never heard of One Percent for the Planet, until now, but I think it's such a great idea. It's great to see small businesses taking such positive steps and lets hope that more big businesses adopt a similar mentality. Have a laugh with these Funny Christmas Songs