The latest climate saving move in the outdoors clothing industry comes from Patagonia. Already well-known for a range of environmentally friendly processes and designs, as well as sustainable hiking clothes, the company now utilises recycled fishing net fabric.
Patagonia has partnered with with Bureo, which works with more than 50 fishing communities in South America to provide an incentivised programme to collect, clean, sort and recycle discarded fishing nets.
The result is Patagonia’s new NetPlus material, which provides a positive end-of-use solution to harmful ocean pollution and is made from 100% recycled fishing net.
NetPlus is now being used across 10 different Patagonia styles for adults and children, in addition to being integrated into the trims, pockets and plackets of many more products.
This type of material is said to be a first for the industry. By using it in key outerwear styles and hat brims, Patagonia has claimed the it was able to divert 105 tons of discarded fishing nets from ending up as ocean rubbish.
One of the products that utilises NetPlus is Patagonia's Downdrift Jacket. The product also features recycled down and is Fair Trade certified sewn.
