Material Traceability
We're working toward mapping out all entities in our supply chain to establish greater traceability, integrity and transparency.
Why
Our supply chain is a series of processes that allows us to create our products. Textile and other manufacturers use this to describe everything from the farming of crops grown to make yarn, to the sewing of that fabric into garments, and the shipping of finished clothes to warehouses, stores and our customers’ front porches. Supply chains are long and complex, involving many entities between the origin of a fiber and the final product. Patagonia relies on the work of hundreds of factories, mills, spinners, processors, recyclers and farms to make our products.
The majority of our products are made with the most environmentally responsible materials available: organic cotton, down certified to the Responsible Down Standard, wool that meets the Responsible Wool Standard, natural rubber and various recycled materials, among others. We strive to establish traceability of our materials by mapping out entities in key supply chains and also by implementing strong chain-of-custody guidelines for our suppliers, to reduce the possibility that more environmentally harmful alternatives are included or mixed with preferred materials.
Where We Are
Over the years, we have worked with key suppliers to obtain strong and credible third-party certifications that provide the best proof that the sustainable fiber we advertise is actually found in our products. These certifications not only give us assurance that the material is the one we chose but also confirm that there was no mixing or swapping of substances when transforming the materials into finished products. When reputable third-party certifications are not available, we employ subject-matter expert auditors to conduct on-site visits of our suppliers.
What’s Next
We continue to explore new developments in the fields of material traceability and supply chain transparency, including adopting best practices used in textile and other commodity supply chains. We are researching the latest generation of traceability service providers with the goal of ensuring the chain of custody of our sustainable materials and improving the overall transparency of these sectors.
