It is to its emblematic Down Sweater that the brand Patagonia has attacked to produce it with a fabric made from used fishing nets. Objective: put plastic pollution back where it belongs: in your jacket.
We Rock Sport had presented you a few weeks ago the work done by Bureo in South America. Its creators Kevin Ahearn and David Stover detailed their action with local fishermen in order to prevent hundreds of tons of fishing nets from ending up in the ocean each year. After recovering this previously unexploited material, Bureo sorts, cleans and cuts up the used fishing nets directly on site in Chile. The whole is then transformed into recycled 100 % nylon granules, called NetPlus. These pellets can be further processed into fibers, components or molded plastic products. Companies purchase NetPlus as a sustainable alternative to new plastics.
This 100 % post-consumer recycled fabric helps limit the amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans. It is estimated that 8.8 million tons of plastic (mostly single-use) are thrown into the ocean each year. Old fishing nets are one of the most harmful forms of marine pollution: scientists estimate that more than 650,000 marine animals are killed or seriously injured by fishing gear each year.
Patagonia has been using this material on some of its products for five years now, like the visors of its hats, which helped divert 35 tons of used plastic from the oceans this year. Better yet, the brand is supporting Bureo's development of NetPlus through its Tin Shed Ventures® investment fund. And Patagonia aims to expand the use of NetPlus in its products. In fact, it has decided to completely rethink the manufacture of its Down Sweater with this material. This emblematic jacket of the brand is worn as much in the city centers as on the big cliffs.
Patagonia explains, for example, that switching to NetPlus® recycled 100 % fabric not only keeps old fishing nets from ending up in the ocean, but "makes the garment lighter, softer and more durable than its predecessor while giving plastic waste a second life. With a slightly altered design for a better fit, extra down where you need it, and a soft but durable outer shell that's easy to repair, the Down Sweater is built to withstand decades of use, until you're ready to donate it." Find the different models of Down Sweater down jackets made with NetPlus on Private Sport Shop. For women at this address and for men at this address.
