Patagonia, the absolute OG of sustainable thinking and true 'planet-first' brand especially now it's owned by the planet has come out with their next milestone.
The OG's of Sustainability are back at it again—Pushing boundaries, making waves, blazing a trail... or any other reference that floats your boat.
Patagonia, the brand that makes you feel slightly guilty for not already being an eco-warrior, is at it again. This time, they’ve set a goal we've been waiting for for a while (tbh): by 2030, every single thread of cotton in their products will be Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC®).
That’s right—no half-measures, no greenwashing, no-BS, planet-healing cotton (correct, planet healing - how? Just keep on reading).
While most fashion brands are still patting themselves on the back for using "organic-ish" materials (aka, less harmful than a forest fire but not perfect - it still takes resources from the planet in its production), Patagonia is pushing for something actually game-changing.
Why such a song and dance, what's the history?
Patagonia came out early with Organic cotton ambitions back in the day as well but Organic advancement meant it was tough in the 90’s to achieve their target - they’ve learnt this time and now have a collective of farmers globally supplying material in line with their demand so there's one less barrier to achieving their goals this time round.
Regenerative Organic Cotton—Means What Exactly?
You know how regular cotton farming wrecks the planet? Picture soil sucked dry, drenched in chemicals, and about as lifeless as a 'welcome home party for a paedophile'; it's why the minimum standard of cotton products on HOAP is organic. Even conventional organic cotton, while better, doesn’t do much to restore the damage. That’s where Regenerative Organic Cotton comes in.
Why is Regenerative Organic Cotton so good, it's still virgin cotton?
Producing Regenerative Organic Cotton doesn’t just avoid harming the environment—it actively heals it. How? Glad you asked:
- No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Because, shocker, poisoning the land isn’t great for, well, anything.
- Cover crops & composting. Think of it as a spa treatment for soil—bringing back its nutrients and ability to store carbon.
- Crop rotation & reduced tillage. Helps prevent the whole "dust bowl" situation and keeps things naturally fertile.
- Fair wages & ethical treatment for farmworkers. Because sustainable fashion shouldn’t come at the cost of human dignity. Some brands need to remember slavery was abolished a good while ago.
Why Should You Care?
Because climate change can't wait for brands to phase in slightly more sustainable fabrics over the next century. Regenerative organic farming pulls carbon from the atmosphere, restores soil health, and even makes crops more drought-resistant. It’s the kind of thing that should be standard practice, but alas, here we are and it's the only virgin material we strongly encourage you choose, hence the reason you'll find them on HOAP.
So while Patagonia goes all-in on not ruining the planet and releases these products, we are able to encourage you to choose products that already have a positive environmental impact in our initial Regenerative Organic Cotton clothing on HOAP. Hopefully, the rest of the fashion industry takes notes and we have a planet left by 2030.
Meanwhile, for us consumers that like to don a little Patagucci, it’s yet another reason to feel smug while wearing Patagonia gear
What other brands make clothes out of Regenerative Organic Cotton?
Don't worry, we got you and the number is growing on HOAP all the time. There are a number of brands producing regenerative organic cotton clothing:
- Outerknown - Kelly Slater's brand and for those of you laid-back, casual style
- Neem London - If you need a slightly more formal office-vibe style
No pressure, other brands.