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Key Specs:
Brand: Patagonia
Model: Responsible Shells & Recycled Black Hole Collection
Price: TBD
Availability: Fall 2019
Unique Features: 100% recycled construction
Upshot: Patagonia puts its activism front-and-center, and it will continue to focus on sustainability and ethical business practices by making all of its shells and its popular Black Hole bags using 100 percent recycled fabric.
Who It’s For: Everyone.
Insight: To many, the news that Patagonia is going to revamp some of its most commonly used products with recycled materials is no surprise. But when you actually consider what it means to create super-durable, weather-resistant equipment from recycled ingredients, what might seem like a shrug-so-what iteration quickly becomes an innovation with significant implications.
Patagonia is anchoring this move to the Ascensionist Jacket, a lightweight three-layer Gore-Tex shell used for serious alpine pursuits, and the Black Hole bags are built to be tossed, dragged and otherwise abused on quick trips and full-on expeditions alike. Patagonia wouldn’t adjust the construction of these products if the recycled materials compromised their durability in any way.
Centering the push for recycled materials on these products in particular should be taken as a statement directed at other outdoor brands. Even pieces that demand the highest performance can, and should, be made more sustainable.
