By: Keap Athletics Account Team, Andrew Tennant
Our client, Keap Athletics, is a company which prides itself in their original pockets. The pockets prevent things from falling out as they are horizontal pockets and are 11 inches deep. One company that KEAP really looks up to is Patagonia, an eco-friendly company that specializes in climbing gear and various other athletic gear.
Patagonia embodies what it means to be an environmentally responsible company. From its Worn Wear program to its Drive-Less Program, Patagonia ensures that its products, clothing and employees are held to the highest standard. Keap looks up to Patagonia because of its environmentally-friendly principles and ability to hold all parts of the company to the highest standard.
Patagonia has a “Worn Wear” program that allows consumers to repair their products instead of throwing them out. While the program repairs clothes and gives it back to you, Patagonia also resells used apparel. This program buys old pieces from you and resells it, and it also lets you trade in your piece for something new. All three of these options saves the environment by recycling materials and reusing them, so they don’t go to waste.
People who also have products that they no longer wish to use can recycle their old gear to Worn Wear and receive credit to purchase new Patagonia items. The company has a core value to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” Patagonia believes that our environment, more specifically global warming, is the most pressing issue that we are facing, and we must take action to prevent more irreversible damage from occurring.
Patagonia’s products are made in a variety of ways with various materials to ensure that their products are well made while not harming the environment. Hemp is used because of its low impact on the environment and is a very durable natural fiber. Organic cotton is important because pesticides can be a very dangerous chemical. Nylon, down, polyester, wool, and some cotton are all recycled to build the product that we all know and love.
In making its product, Patagonia also focuses on how their work conditions can be the most beneficial to the environment. It uses solar power wherever possible and takes big steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its operations.
It also has a list of substances that are restricted in their products due to the desire to eliminate hazardous chemicals. Patagonia is are working to reduce its carbon output and water intake to help with its positive environmental impact. Animal welfare is also a main focus in its product production as Patagonia do not use any leather, fur or angora. Instead, it uses 100% recycled down to ensure that the birds are not being harmed.
It is enlightening to know that 1% of the company’s revenue goes to different grassroots environmental groups all around the world, which has resulted in $89 million in donations over the program’s lifetime.
On Black Friday in 2016, the company donated 100% of their sales to different environmental organizations, which was roughly $10 million. Not only does the company donate its money but also its time. Many employees are involved in volunteer opportunities and encourage the reduction of their carbon footprints by staying involved in their own “Drive-Less Program.”
Through all of these practices, Patagonia has shown that its a company that is all-around invested in the environment’s wellbeing. By setting this standard, companies like Keap have begun to think about ways that they can become more environmentally sustainable, resulting in better practices globally.
It is exciting to see the ways in which companies are beginning to prioritize the environment, and we can only hope that the trend continues to grow as more and more companies inspire one another to adopt sustainable practices.
