In keeping with its fierce devotion to the environment, Patagonia will channel the frenzy of Black Friday shopping into a force for good.
This Friday, everything that you buy from the apparel company will contribute to the regeneration and defense of the planet. 100% of sales — not just profits — will go toward environmental causes. Patagonia will be donating to small, grassroots organizations on the frontlines of defending wildlife and basic human rights like water and clean air.
The company will work with One Percent of the Planet to disburse the funds and find the right partners.
"These are small groups, often underfunded and under the radar, who work on the front lines," wrote Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario. "The support we can give is more important now than ever."
Patagonia has always been committed to sustainability. Founder Yvon Chouinard grew up as an outdoorsmen and developed a deep reverence for the planet. From the brand’s start in 1973, Chouinard developed a strategy that went beyond a financial bottom line. The company goes out of its way to use sustainable materials, recycle garments, conserve energy, work with local communities, and spread awareness of climate change.
“For us at Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet,” the company’s mission statement reads.
To that end, 1% of the company’s sales are donated to environmental groups. Since 1985, that's amounted to $74 million.
The company's approach has gathered urgency over the past several years, owing to the escalating crisis of climate change.
This year especially galvanized the company, as the fate of climate action seemed to depend upon the 2016 US election. Patagonia closed all of its retail and corporate locations on Nov. 8th to let employees vote in the election, and it actively encourages customers and employees to get involved in local environmental groups.
"This we know," wrote Marcario. "If we don't act boldly, severe changes in climate, water and air pollution, extinction of species and erosion of topsoil are certain outcomes. The threats facing our planet affect people of every political stripe, of every demographic, in every part of the country. We all stand to benefit from a healthy environment—and our children and grandchildren do, too."
Head over to the brand's web site to check out their gear!