Patagonia is joining Pack4Good, a sustainable packaging initiative from Canopy, the non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting forests, species and climate.

Building on a strong foundation of working with Canopy to eliminate the destruction of ancient and endangered forests caused by the production of viscose textiles since 2013, Patagonia is now focusing on NextGen packaging solutions that come from more sustainable sources such as agricultural waste instead of trees. The company has committed to ensuring none of its packaging comes at the expense of the world’s most climate and biodiversity-critical forests.

Paper packaging such as delivery boxes, hang tags and shoe boxes is responsible for 3.1 billion trees being logged annually, many from climate-critical forests. The pressure on the world’s forests is intense and using alternative sources of fibre for paper and packaging, that don’t use trees, is a priority for Canopy and Patagonia.

“As part of our goal to build the best product and constantly improve everything we do, we are taking steps to review and develop new, more-responsible packaging materials in partnership with Canopy,” said Patagonia’s packaging and branding director Jennifer Patrick.

Since its initial partnership with Canopy, Patagonia has been at the forefront of shifting the viscose and rayon supply chain, being among the first brands to source exclusively from producers rated as “green shirt” in Canopy’s annual Hot Button Report. In its ongoing efforts to minimise environmental impact, the brand has been using 100% recycled content for all its packaging and catalogues.

The next phase will involve collaboration with Canopy to develop and scale up NextGen packaging solutions.

“This commitment comes at a crucial time when the need for low-carbon alternatives to forest-based packaging is more pressing than ever,” said Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canopy. “By supporting the scale-up of NextGen materials, Patagonia is leading the outdoor apparel sector towards a more sustainable future.”

Today’s announcement brings the Pack4Good initiative to 445 brands worth over $249 billion in annual revenue.

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