fairdare
  • blog
  • Fairdare
  • ethical brands
  • zero-waste
  • zero-waste meals
  • about

it matters

1/10/2018

6 Comments

 
Picture
A few weeks ago I wrote about plastic fibers from synthetic fabrics being found in alarming amounts of drinking water tested around the world. This discovery prompted this tribe to sell our fleece. Although this keeps that fleece in use (+ potentially polluting our water stream), I felt that it was a marginally better choice than keeping it. I'm hoping that the people who bought our fleece will use it rather than buying new fleece + stimulating further production.

In addition to letting our fleece go, I wrote to Patagonia. I'm never certain that these letters make a difference, but I do think that it is important to offer our perspective as customers. Yesterday I was thrilled to find a personal response to my letter in my inbox. Regardless of how I feel about the response, the fact that I received one makes me feel heard. What gives me even more hope is to imagine the response to many letters on this topic!

I've attached my letter (not that it's great or anything) + their response. I will say that I could have written more, but thought that short + concise might be more likely to get read. 
My letter:

Hello- Our family loves Patagonia + considers you a leader in the ethical clothing industry. I learned about plastic fibers from our clothing shedding into the water stream from Patagonia...and now there are studies finding that 83% of the drinking water worldwide + 94% in the USA has plastic fibers in it.  https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisibles_plastics

A recent email from Patagonia stated, "Our mission is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” One of the featured products pictured just below this statement was a fair-trade fleece. I am excited about your commitment to fair-trade certified production…but don’t at all support or understand the further production of fleece products. 
 
Please consider again being the leader in exploring + promoting natural fiber options. No more fleece, please. Our water supply depends on it.
 
xxx

Their response:

Hello xxx,

Thank you for your email! We apologize for the delay in response, we've been experiencing an unusually high number of emails this holiday season.

We greatly appreciate you taking time to write to us with your feedback regarding our fleece products. While we are aware of the nature of fleece fabrics shedding, we also feel that fleece is a crucial fabric for use in outdoor activities. We are currently conducting research in the attempt to develop a more environmentally friendly fleece so that we can help to reduce the amount of micro fibers that enter our water supply. For the time being, we offer a GUPPYFRIEND Washing Bag on our website for our customers to use when washing fleece. This bag helps to catch microfibers so that they do not enter our water supply or our oceans. The bag is sold at cost to help make it a more affordable, reasonable option for our customer who own fleece.

Please feel free to email me directly if you have any further questions, xxx. You can also reach out to our Customer Service Department by phone at (800) 638-6464 or by chat on Patagonia.com from Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (PST) and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (PST) if you would like to speak with someone directly.

All the best, 

Sydney
Patagonia Customer Service

Let's make our voices heard. Someone just might be listening!  :)

Love,
​Jane
6 Comments
Rebekah Jaunty
1/11/2018 01:33:57 pm

Well done speaking your mind!

"While we are aware of the nature of fleece fabrics shedding, we also feel that fleece is a crucial fabric for use in outdoor activities."

Seems like overstating their case to me, but I'm not outdoorsy and wouldn't know.
Also, what are people supposed to do with all the fibers gradually captured by the GuppyFriend bag? Never rinse those bags or turn them inside out?

The GuppyFriend bag says it's "sold at cost," but I doubt that Patagonia is paying $20 per bag. What do you think?

Reply
Jane link
1/14/2018 06:29:05 pm

I thought the exact same things (although, I didn't even look at the Guppyfriend bag). What is one supposed to do with the fibers caught in the bag? If you shake them out outside...or even into the garbage...those tiny fibers are just going to end up in the environment + waterways. The best thing I can think of is to stick them up with tape...though, I wonder if they are even too small to catch. In addition, if the bag is so resistent to fibers escaping, I wonder how effective it would be at letting water in + out to actually clean your fleece.

I definately feel that "crucial" is overstating. I'm not super outdoorsy either, but I think there are many things/combinations that could do the job...wool for starters.

I considered putting these thoughts in the original post, but decided that the fact that they responded at all was what I'd focus on initially. :) Thanks for making me feel like I'm not alone in these thoughts!! I'm glad this is attached here. :)

Reply
Priscilla Bettis link
1/12/2018 07:17:57 am

I am encouraged that Patagonia wrote you back. I also like the idea of the GUPPYFRIEND Washing Bag. We have two pairs of fleece gloves and two fleece neck warmers, and I always worry when I wash them.

Reply
Jane link
1/14/2018 06:30:45 pm

It's very encouraging to receive what seems like a personalized email! :)

Reply
Gunn
1/18/2018 12:03:14 pm

I have the Guppyfriend bag for our workout clothes and I I brush the microfibers in the thrashbag after use. Here in Northen Norway the trash that don’t get recycled is transported to the northen part of Sweden and is burned to make electricity.

But of course, the best thing would be not having clothes that shed microplastic at all so when they get worn put they I will be replacing them with cotton and wool garments :-)

I found your blog via Litterless during Christmas holiday and have been really enjoying myself reading through the archives!

I have been buying my clothes mainly secondhand for years now, but one of my new years resolutions for 2017 was to buy less, even secondhand, because I felt that I have too much stuff. I want to continue in the same track (still to much stuff!), but during Christmasbreak when thinking back on the year I realised I didn’t feel good about sticking to my resolution. It had been to much focus on the limitations and not enough thought about all the positive things that follows.

Enough said, I just want to say a big thank you for an inspiring blog that have really helped me shift my outlook from focusing on limits and the negative (for me personally) to actually see the joy of less and the bigger picture.

Reply
Jane link
1/22/2018 09:30:28 am

Thank you so, so much for this! I'm happy to hear how the GuppyBag works for you. Your garbage to electricity model is a system I long to see spread + spread! Recognizing too much is vital...but working toward recognizing "enough" has been such an incredible gift to me. There's a freedom to be found there. I hope this subtle shift continues to bring light + joy to your heart! Your thoughts have certainly brought loads of both to mine!! :) Thank you so much for sharing!!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
    substack
    Picture
    Picture


    categories

    All
    Fair Brands
    Fairdare
    Garden
    Made
    Reads
    Simple Budget
    Simple Holidays
    Simple Home
    Simple Wardrobe
    Simply Said
    Sustainable Self
    Wanderings
    Yum
    Zero Waste

    archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    all images by jane unless otherwise noted. copyright 2024.
Proudly powered by Weebly