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The funny thing about our great-fitting, go-anywhere yoga pants is that you're still wearing them at bedtime. Made from a softly brushed, wrinkle-resistant and quick-to-recover blend of 47% organic cotton, 39% Tencel® lyocell, 14% all-recycled polyester, the pant has a wide, flat elasticized waistband with drawcord and two front drop-in pockets. Inseam (size M) is 32".
Organic cotton is produced using techniques that are healthy and safe for the environment and the people who work and live near the fields where it’s grown. Organic cotton is never grown with synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or defoliants, nor is it genetically modified in any way.
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Organic Cotton : "Pure" and "Natural"
When we scrutinized fabric fibers to determine their environmental impact, we figured cotton was "pure" and "natural," made from a plant. We were right about the plant.
As it happens, very little is pure or natural about cotton when it is raised conventionally. Fully 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals in the United States are used to produce cotton, grown on just one percent of all major agricultural land. Conventional cotton crops in California alone are dusted every year with 6.9 million pounds of chemicals. And research shows that extensive and intensive use of synthetic fertilizers, soil additives, defoliants and other substances wreak terrible havoc on soil, water, air and many, many living things.
There is, of course, an alternative: organic cotton. There are farmers who have been growing cotton without harmful chemicals for years. Their yield is high and the quality of the cotton they grow is equal to or better than conventionally grown cotton. Their methods support biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, improve the quality of soil and often use less water. Growing organically takes more time, requires more knowledge and skill, and, for now, costs more. But it's worth it.
Once we had this knowledge, and the counsel of good friends in the environmental community, we believed we had no choice. In 1996, we converted our entire sportswear line to 100% organically grown cotton. We decided never to go back to conventional cotton, regardless of the outcome.
The move didn't compromise quality and it provoked a fundamental change in our attitudes about agriculture. As part of our organic cotton program, hundreds of us took tours of cotton fields, where we could see the dangers of pesticide use and the benefits of organic farming for ourselves. Many of us have since become activists on the issue and have shifted to buying organic foods and clothing for ourselves and our families.
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Recycled Polyester:
To Patagonia, quality means more than how a garment looks or functions: It also includes the way it affects the environment and quality of life. This means working to source materials and develop processes that minimize damage to the environment.
In 1993, we adopted fleece into our product line made from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. We were the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to do so. PCR® clothing was a positive step towards a more sustainable system – one that uses fewer resources, discards less and better protects people’s health. Over the course of 13 years, we saved some 86 million soda bottles from the trash heap. That’s enough oil to fill the 40-gallon gas tank of the diminutive Chevy Suburban 20,000 times.
Today, we're able to utilize more sources for recycled polyester and offer it on more garments such as Capilene baselayers, shell jackets and board shorts, as well as fleece. We now recycle used soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments into polyester fibers to produce many of our clothes. We've also started the world's first garment recycling program – bring us your old, worn-out Capilene baselayer, Patagonia fleece or Polartec® fleece (from any maker) and we'll make a new polyester garment from it using an innovative process developed by our friends at TEJIN.
Benefits of recycled polyester:
Lessens dependence on oil
Curbs discards, thereby prolonging landfill life and reducing toxic emissions from incinerators
Helps to promote a new recycling stream for polyester clothing that is no longer wearable
Creates less air, water and soil contamination
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