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 tonnes of plastic (mostly single-use) are thrown into the ocean every year. Old fishing nets are one of the most harmful forms of marine pollution: scientists estimate that over 650,000 marine animals are killed or seriously injured by fishing gear every year.
Patagonia, for its part, has been using this material on some of its products for five years now, as in the case of its cap visors, which helped divert 35 tonnes of used plastic from the oceans this year. What's more, through its Tin Shed Ventures® investment fund, the brand supports the development of NetPlus by Bureo. 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 down jacket using this material. The brand's emblematic jacket can be worn in city centers as well as on high cliffs.
Patagonia explains that switching to NetPlus® recycled 100 % fabric not only prevents 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 modified design for a better fit, extra down where you need it, and a soft but tough, easy-to-repair outer shell, the Down Sweater is designed to withstand decades of use, until you're ready to donate it." Find on Private Sport Shop the different models of Down Sweater down jackets made with NetPlus. For women to this address and for men at this address.
