Patagonia commits to forest-friendly, tree-free packaging solutions

Patagonia, a global outdoor apparel company, has further strengthened its environmental commitments by joining Pack4Good, a sustainable packaging initiative led by Canopy, a non-profit organisation focused on forest, species, and climate protection.

Patagonia has been collaborating with Canopy since 2013 to reduce the impact of viscose textile production on Ancient and Endangered Forests. Now, the company is turning its attention to developing Next Generation (Next Gen) packaging solutions that utilise more sustainable sources, such as agricultural waste, instead of trees. As part of this commitment, Patagonia aims to ensure that none of its packaging contributes to the depletion of critical forests around the world.

Current paper packaging, including items such as delivery boxes, hang tags, and shoe boxes, is a significant contributor to deforestation, with 3.1 billion trees cut down annually, many of which are sourced from climate-critical forests. Addressing this, Canopy and Patagonia are prioritising the use of alternative fibre sources that do not involve logging trees.

Since partnering with Canopy, Patagonia has played a key role in transforming the viscose and rayon supply chain, being one of the first companies to exclusively source from “green shirt” producers as rated in Canopy’s Hot Button Report. The company has also been utilising 100% recycled materials for its packaging and catalogs to further minimise its environmental footprint.

Jennifer Patrick, Packaging and Branding Director, Patagonia, said: Patagonia is excited to announce its partnership with Canopy’s Pack4Good initiative. 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.

Moving forward, Patagonia will work with Canopy to develop and expand the use of Next Gen packaging solutions. These innovations focus on using materials like agricultural waste and other non-forest alternative fibres, thereby significantly reducing the dependency on primary forest resources.