A new initiative expands Patagonia’s commitment to reducing waste by adding an online resale shop for refurbished goods.
Everyone who owns a piece of Patagonia apparel expects it to last a long time. The brand backs all of its items with a lifetime guarantee. If it breaks, Patagonia will fix it or show you how to fix it yourself. If you don’t want it, Patagonia will recycle it so it doesn’t end up in a landfill.
Now, the company will go a step further. This year, the brand launches a marketplace for refurbished Patagonia items on its website and give store credit to those who turn in old items for resale.
Worn Wear Takeback Program
Patagonia teased “Something new for Worn Wear coming this April” on its Facebook page. We spoke with a brand spokesperson who said, “this summer, July 2017, Patagonia will launch an e-commerce Worn Wear platform where the company will sell used Patagonia clothing and gear online, sourced directly from its customers.”
Under the new program, customers can bring old garments to local Patagonia retail stores. They will be reimbursed with store credits equal to half the resale value of the used garment.
Patagonia will then refurbish the garments and sell them on Patagonia.com.
The brand began local trade-in and sell-back programs at four retail locations: Portland, Chicago, Seattle, and Palo Alto, Calif. The current Worn Wear program consists of mobile sewing clinics, online repair manuals, and resources for recycling beyond-repair items.
The new initiative will open up the takeback-for-credit concept and the used gear marketplace to thrifty shoppers nationwide.
Workers will clean the returned gear with a waterless Tersus CO2 machine before mending at a Reno, Nevada, repair facility. Then it will sell online. We’re excited to see what comes through and encourage anyone looking for apparel to check the refurb site first.
