Tracking Patagonia's Footprint

I've been a big fan of Patagonia products and clothing for a long time. Besides the fact that the company makes some downright killer, sporty stuff, my love affair began with its corporate core values and to "cause no unnecessary harm" in the production of its gear. Not a lot of companies even pay lip service to a claim like that, let alone try to actually pull it off. But just what does "no unnecessary harm" mean? Is it even possible?

The company has been known to do good things almost literally since it was founded, but Patagonia is raising the bar of transparency into its own business by allowing customers a peek behind the curtain to see just how and where many of its products are made, and what goes into making and shipping them. Through its Footprint Chronicles, the company has shed a light on the process involved in creating a garment or product, and to put a social and environmental price tag on its production. Through an engaging interactive multimedia presentation you can track how Patagonia makes its gear, step-by-step, and participate in a discussion geared to make Patagonia an even better corporate citizen.

Of course, to make even a T-shirt there's a process involved and by-products are created. The shirt has to be made somewhere by someone. Most big brand companies manufacture most of their gear overseas, usually by people you'll never see. The shirt is likely shipped around quite a bit before eventually landing on your doorstep or hung on a store rack. We tend not to think about these things very much. Patagonia does, and it's letting us know not only how much energy is used in the making of a shirt, but also just how it works with its manufacturers and helps workers by bringing Patagonia's corporate philosophy to the factories it contracts with.

I own a couple of Patagonia polo shirts, so via the Footprint Chronicles I tracked just what it takes to put a polo in my closet. You can see photos and video of the process on the site, but here are the very condensed highlights:

The shirt is designed at Patagonia HQ in Ventura, Calif. Organic cotton is grown and harvested in Turkey. The cotton is shipped to a large factory in Bangkok, Thailand, to be spun into thread. The yarn is turned into shirts, also in Bangkok, but at a different factory, The shirts are made, and shipped to Patagonia's distribution hub in Reno, Nev. Stats: My shirt has traveled over 14,000 miles. It generated 27 lbs. of CO2 emissions and 10 oz. of physical waste. It took 24 kWh of energy to make the shirt (the equivalent of leaving a compact fluorescent lightbulb on for 79 days).

That's a lot of work for just one shirt, and it makes me think twice about what I buy. Will it change my buying habits? Perhaps. But I do know that Patagonia earns points in my book for making this information public. Imagine if every big-name clothing manufacturer did the same. Imagine if companies from all industries did. The world just might be a better place.