Patagonia, a global outdoor apparel company, is taking a step forward in its environmental commitments by joining Pack4Good, a sustainable packaging initiative from Canopy, a solutions-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting forests, species and climate.
Canopy is focused on eliminating the destruction of ancient and endangered forests caused by the production of viscose textiles. Through the new Pack4Good initiative, Patagonia is focusing on developing new packaging solutions that come from more sustainable sources such as agricultural waste instead of trees. The company has committed to ensuring none of its packaging comes at the expense of forests.
Paper packaging — like delivery boxes, hang tags and shoe boxes — is responsible for 3.1 billion trees being logged annually, many from climate-critical forests, Patagonia notes. The pressure on the world’s forests is intense, and using alternative sources of fiber for paper and packaging that doesn’t use trees is a priority for Canopy and Patagonia, they say.
“Patagonia is excited to announce its partnership with Canopy’s Pack4Good initiative,” says Jennifer Patrick, packaging and branding director at Patagonia. “As part of our goal to build the best product and constantly improve everything we do, we are taking steps to review and develop new, more responsible packaging materials in partnership with Canopy.”
Since its initial partnership with Canopy, Patagonia has been at the forefront of shifting the viscose and rayon supply chain, being among the first brand leaders to source exclusively from producers rated as “green shirt” in Canopy’s annual Hot Button Report. In its ongoing efforts to minimize its environmental impact, Patagonia has been using 100% recycled content for all its packaging and catalogues.
The next phase of Patagonia’s sustainability journey will involve collaboration with Canopy to develop and scale up its packaging solutions. The companies plan to use innovative materials such as agricultural waste and non-forest alternative fibers, significantly reducing reliance on primary forest resources.
To date, 445 brands worth a combined total of over $249 billion in annual revenue have committed to the Pack4Good initiative, according to Canopy.
“We are so pleased to be welcoming Patagonia to the Pack4Good family,” says Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canopy. “This commitment comes at a crucial time when the need for low-carbon alternatives to forest-based packaging is more pressing than ever. By supporting the scale-up of next generation packaging materials, Patagonia is not only contributing to the preservation of ancient and endangered forests, it is leading the outdoor apparel sector towards a more sustainable future.”
