Illustration of Patagonia’s famous 2011 ‘Don’t Buy This Jacket’ Ad that was run in the New York Times.
As an impact and innovation agency, OSB strives to uplift the efforts of businesses who commit to environmental responsibility. The Patagonia clothing brand is a strong model for how accountability, intentionality, and innovation can drive progress towards economic circularity, without sacrificing market success.
Patagonia has prioritized ethical production over profit since the early 70s. They removed climbing hardware from their shelves after discovering it destroyed vulnerable rock-climbing formations. (Patagonia history). While considered a poor business move, the company has since grown multinationally and has an annual revenue of over one billion dollars, not to mention its cult following.
Even today, decades later, Patagonia has not backed down on its mission to “use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” (Goodonyou). They continue to integrate business strategies that contribute to the model of economic circularity, among other sustainably minded initiatives.
Globally 76% of its facilities, distribution centers and offices produce renewable energy (Sustainable Review).
68% of all materials in product-lines are recycled content (Fortune).
All products have a lifetime free-of-cost repair guarantee for its customers, reducing the amount of products that get sent to the landfill (Fortune).
Worn Wear tour, a cross-county initiative, taught consumers how to repair their own garments (regardless of brand) through hands-on training (Patagonia Works).
As we mention in the article about corporate circularity, there is no large corporation on this planet that can claim a perfectly circular economy. Even still, companies should strive for this goal and be open about their efforts. Patagonia became a leader in corporate transparency when they revealed that their 2025 mission for carbon neutrality was a band-aid over the climate crisis issue (Fortune).
A company can achieve carbon neutrality one of two ways. The optimal way is to not produce carbon waste at all. The other method is to purchase carbon credits, which represent the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere, and would counteract carbon emitted during the manufacturing and transportation processes.
Think of it as paying off debt, but the debt is carbon pollution. For Patagonia, taking responsibility for their impact doesn’t mean paying their way out of the climate crisis; and they refuse to pledge neutrality until they can say they don’t release carbon into the atmosphere.
The apparel company’s public acknowledgement of environmentally detrimental operations actually bolsters their pro-planet mission. This kind of transparency is an example that eco-consciousness isn’t a marketing ploy; greenwashing is not worth the short-term benefit of misleading customers to buy products. Corporate environmental responsibility is the acknowledgement and efforts made from the company’s highest chain of influence downwards that as little waste should be created as possible.
The Patagonia model inspires us at OSB to continue the conversation of economic circularity, but we acknowledge large corporations are not the sole players in solving the climate crisis. By investigating eco-conscious practices in other realms of business, technology, and commerce, we hope to grow and communicate a knowledge base on circularity and sustainability that can be employed when offering business strategy to our clients.
Writing by Nia-Simone Eccleston, Design Strategist Apprentice. Illustration by Sophie Becker, Design Innovation Strategist.
