The clothing brand Patagonia, described as being sustainable, manufactures its clothing in low-wage countries in the same factories as fast-fashion brands such as Primark and Zara.
The company’s code of conduct states that workers cannot work more than 60 hours a week. Follow the Money visited a Patagonia supplier in Sri Lanka and spoke to workers and union leaders who said the workload in the factories is high and workers are being harassed by managers.
Patagonia aims to pay everyone working on their clothing a ‘living wage’ by 2025. At present, this is the case in a mere 40 per cent of factories. A recently approved supplier of Patagonia in Sri Lanka pays its employees only a quarter of a living wage.
Patagonia says it has no authority over how much textile workers get paid, as they are in no way, shape or form the employer of these workers.
I really don’t even know how to respond to this… Firstly, thanks for sending this, as I really did believe that Patagonia was genuine in their green and labor efforts. It’s so disappointing to see...
I really don’t even know how to respond to this…
Firstly, thanks for sending this, as I really did believe that Patagonia was genuine in their green and labor efforts. It’s so disappointing to see that they’re mistreating workers in the same fashion as other more notorious companies.
Either way, thanks for letting me know, since I was actually planning to buy more of my clothes from them in the future. Good to know.
You're welcome. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It's almost impossible to buy uncomplicated/unharmful stuff, it's practically impossible for there not to be a catch. Patagonia might still be a...
You're welcome. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It's almost impossible to buy uncomplicated/unharmful stuff, it's practically impossible for there not to be a catch.
Patagonia might still be a good option compared to some others, given their warranty and other things they happen do do right. Buying their stuff second hand could be a workaround; You don't add to demand, but you do get repairs under warranty. Which means you won't have to buy new stuff quite as often. Which also doesn't add to demand.
Pretty interesting read, I thought it would spark some interesting discussion. Clothing and fashion in general are thought to be major contributors to climate change (because of the water and...
Pretty interesting read, I thought it would spark some interesting discussion.
Clothing and fashion in general are thought to be major contributors to climate change (because of the water and energy usage needed to grow and process cotton). I've already seen a few articles and YouTube videos mention reducing your wash frequency and preferentially using line drying instead of machines to conserve energy.
This was another source of pollution that, frankly speaking, completely blindsided me and was wondering what others here thought of this solutions, and other possibilities.
Side note, this really reminds me of automobile pollution, where EVs solved a lot of the direct emission based issues, but ignored (if not worsened) the tire particulate issues. These are the sorts of problems that make me believe reducing consumption overall is far more important that most articles seem to highlight.
The other aspect of pollution it didn't talk about was that there were plenty of Reddit threads discussing how Samsung relies on planned obsolescence into their appliances. Lots of people have...
The other aspect of pollution it didn't talk about was that there were plenty of Reddit threads discussing how Samsung relies on planned obsolescence into their appliances. Lots of people have washing mashines, fridges, and tvs that bust after a short time and many users recommend buying older ones that last longer.
The machines might pollute, but throwing out an entire appliance and replacing it every 5 years probably makes much more/worse waste than the washings they do.
Yup, incredibly important point. A lot of appliances firstly are build with planned obsolescence in mind, and to further exacerbate the problem, are incredibly hard to fix without professional...
Yup, incredibly important point. A lot of appliances firstly are build with planned obsolescence in mind, and to further exacerbate the problem, are incredibly hard to fix without professional knowledge.
I fully agree, most often the best option is to simply use what you currently own, and try to reduce consumption rather than purchasing anything new.
Yeah, my sister’s old washing machine broke down and she was told by a couple of friends to just strike Samsung off the list. She went with an LG set that she‘s been pleased with so far, so...
Yeah, my sister’s old washing machine broke down and she was told by a couple of friends to just strike Samsung off the list. She went with an LG set that she‘s been pleased with so far, so hopefully it lasts.
Ah, your side note finally made the tires comment in the article make sense - don't know why I didn't make the connection myself! I like the idea, especially as I quite like technical fabrics....
Ah, your side note finally made the tires comment in the article make sense - don't know why I didn't make the connection myself!
I like the idea, especially as I quite like technical fabrics. However, the idea of a Wifi-connected, most likely blindingly expensive, washing machine is pretty off-putting. I bought a new washing machine 7 years ago for about the price of the filter they are selling (180€). Hopefully this leads to more 'generic' options though.
the article mentioned people can download new update for the samsung washers, and then....didn't provide details. There's so much hype about this announcement right now I can't [muster the energy]...
the article mentioned people can download new update for the samsung washers, and then....didn't provide details. There's so much hype about this announcement right now I can't [muster the energy] to actually find this update for my washer. Hopefully there will be a follow up soon, or some kind of flyers announcements at grocery stores or something for everyone not online all the time.
but ignored (if not worsened) the tire particulate issues
you need a garment bag for the bag -- completely joking
Yeah I think this is unfortunately almost a trend in “green” products. I’ve lost count at how many green innovations just wind up making you purchase more things that wind up breaking and in the...
Yeah I think this is unfortunately almost a trend in “green” products. I’ve lost count at how many green innovations just wind up making you purchase more things that wind up breaking and in the landfill anyway.
re: EVs "ignored (if not worsened) the tire particulate issues" do you mean that people buying more cars in general worsens the problem, or is there specifically something awful about EV tires?
re: EVs "ignored (if not worsened) the tire particulate issues"
do you mean that people buying more cars in general worsens the problem, or is there specifically something awful about EV tires?
The ideal is still a plug-in-hybrid. The Volt has 40-50 miles of EV range which will cover most suburban and urban driving needs on 90% of days. The small battery negates issues with weight,...
The ideal is still a plug-in-hybrid. The Volt has 40-50 miles of EV range which will cover most suburban and urban driving needs on 90% of days. The small battery negates issues with weight, requires less resources, and costs less. And then you can drive a 500 mile road trip on gas while being decently efficient.
Follow-up question : does thes issues have the same importance (CO2 emission vs tyres particulate emission) ? I have no problem trading "life in a 20m radius near a highway have an 1% increase in...
Follow-up question : does thes issues have the same importance (CO2 emission vs tyres particulate emission) ? I have no problem trading "life in a 20m radius near a highway have an 1% increase in cancer rate" for "the global level of CO2 keeps increasing".
I’d imagine that CO2 emissions are probably the worse of the two, so EVs are definitely still a step in the right direction. I suppose what I should have pointed out was that EVs are better than...
I’d imagine that CO2 emissions are probably the worse of the two, so EVs are definitely still a step in the right direction.
I suppose what I should have pointed out was that EVs are better than ICE but reducing our car dependence via improved public transit is probably going to be more impactful. Imo EVs are a great stopgap (much like this new Patagonia washer) but it’s imperative that we actually address our consumption as the root problem.
No, the issue is completely separate from CO2, and reducing green house gasses in almost all cases should have far higher priority. The fine particulate matter problem is closer linked to some the...
No, the issue is completely separate from CO2, and reducing green house gasses in almost all cases should have far higher priority.
The fine particulate matter problem is closer linked to some the diesel scandals of the last 10 years. With diesel cars and trucks, a lot of people cared a great deal about the fine particulate matter in their exhaust, and in some countries a large number of diesel engines were prematurely taken off the road (a waste of non-renewable resources on its own) or forced to upgrade to filter systems.
In those countries, the heated discussion about particulates completely went away - even though the issue is still there, and electric vehicles often emit far more than many gas power cars on the road, so the rate will increase further while EVs are adapted more. And unlike the particulate matter from a diesel engine, the stuff from your tiers washes away with the rain, ends up in the ocean and is a sizable contributor to microplastics pollution in water.
In the end, its just another inconvenient truth. EVs are not a silver bullet. The only thing that helps is to drive less. And almost nobody wants to hear that.
Not EV tires exactly, they mostly use the same tires as other vehicles, but the increased torque from electric motors means more tires wear and thus more particulate pollution. But on the other...
Not EV tires exactly, they mostly use the same tires as other vehicles, but the increased torque from electric motors means more tires wear and thus more particulate pollution. But on the other hand, EVs can use the motors to effectively slow the vehicle, leading to drastically reducing brakepad pollution (my car is 4 years old and coming up on 46k miles and the brakepads still look new.)
There is research into capturing and reducing this pollution, so I think it's going in a positive direction.
Do you have a link? Sounds like and extraordinary complicated problem from the technological side. We have millions of square miles of roads, and the fine particulate from tiers gets washed away...
There is research into capturing and reducing this pollution, so I think it's going in a positive direction.
Do you have a link? Sounds like and extraordinary complicated problem from the technological side. We have millions of square miles of roads, and the fine particulate from tiers gets washed away by rain and ends up in the ocean and in our water supply.
I don't see any chance of really getting it out of the water, especially not out of rivers and oceans.
Sure: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129809_tire-dust-is-pollution-and-this-invention-will-help-vehicles-clean-up-as-they-go Tire companies are also looking at new designs that reduce the...
Both are definitely issues in my opinion, but I was focusing on the fact that EVs tend to weight much more than ice cars and go through tires faster. As far as I’m aware though, I don’t think that...
Both are definitely issues in my opinion, but I was focusing on the fact that EVs tend to weight much more than ice cars and go through tires faster. As far as I’m aware though, I don’t think that EV tires are in any way more damaging that regular ones.
Speaking of Patagonia: https://www.ftm.eu/articles/sustainable-clothing-brand-patagonia-uses-same-suppliers-fast-fashion-brands-do-workers-exploited
I really don’t even know how to respond to this…
Firstly, thanks for sending this, as I really did believe that Patagonia was genuine in their green and labor efforts. It’s so disappointing to see that they’re mistreating workers in the same fashion as other more notorious companies.
Either way, thanks for letting me know, since I was actually planning to buy more of my clothes from them in the future. Good to know.
You're welcome. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It's almost impossible to buy uncomplicated/unharmful stuff, it's practically impossible for there not to be a catch.
Patagonia might still be a good option compared to some others, given their warranty and other things they happen do do right. Buying their stuff second hand could be a workaround; You don't add to demand, but you do get repairs under warranty. Which means you won't have to buy new stuff quite as often. Which also doesn't add to demand.
Pretty interesting read, I thought it would spark some interesting discussion.
Clothing and fashion in general are thought to be major contributors to climate change (because of the water and energy usage needed to grow and process cotton). I've already seen a few articles and YouTube videos mention reducing your wash frequency and preferentially using line drying instead of machines to conserve energy.
This was another source of pollution that, frankly speaking, completely blindsided me and was wondering what others here thought of this solutions, and other possibilities.
Side note, this really reminds me of automobile pollution, where EVs solved a lot of the direct emission based issues, but ignored (if not worsened) the tire particulate issues. These are the sorts of problems that make me believe reducing consumption overall is far more important that most articles seem to highlight.
The other aspect of pollution it didn't talk about was that there were plenty of Reddit threads discussing how Samsung relies on planned obsolescence into their appliances. Lots of people have washing mashines, fridges, and tvs that bust after a short time and many users recommend buying older ones that last longer.
The machines might pollute, but throwing out an entire appliance and replacing it every 5 years probably makes much more/worse waste than the washings they do.
Yup, incredibly important point. A lot of appliances firstly are build with planned obsolescence in mind, and to further exacerbate the problem, are incredibly hard to fix without professional knowledge.
I fully agree, most often the best option is to simply use what you currently own, and try to reduce consumption rather than purchasing anything new.
Yeah, my sister’s old washing machine broke down and she was told by a couple of friends to just strike Samsung off the list. She went with an LG set that she‘s been pleased with so far, so hopefully it lasts.
Ah, your side note finally made the tires comment in the article make sense - don't know why I didn't make the connection myself!
I like the idea, especially as I quite like technical fabrics. However, the idea of a Wifi-connected, most likely blindingly expensive, washing machine is pretty off-putting. I bought a new washing machine 7 years ago for about the price of the filter they are selling (180€). Hopefully this leads to more 'generic' options though.
I like the mentioned bags (https://www.patagonia.com/product/guppyfriend-microplastic-washing-bag/4260750820839.html) though, and they seem like a much more realistic offer for most people. And still filter out 86% of fibers. Also, I'm absolutely blown away by the fact that over a third of plastic trash in the oceans are microfibers!
ETA: the bags have disappointingly bad reviews unfortunately, as they apparently don't last more than a few wash cycles :(
the article mentioned people can download new update for the samsung washers, and then....didn't provide details. There's so much hype about this announcement right now I can't [muster the energy] to actually find this update for my washer. Hopefully there will be a follow up soon, or some kind of flyers announcements at grocery stores or something for everyone not online all the time.
you need a garment bag for the bag -- completely joking
Yeah I think this is unfortunately almost a trend in “green” products. I’ve lost count at how many green innovations just wind up making you purchase more things that wind up breaking and in the landfill anyway.
re: EVs "ignored (if not worsened) the tire particulate issues"
do you mean that people buying more cars in general worsens the problem, or is there specifically something awful about EV tires?
I'd assume because EVs tend to be heavier, they cause more tire wear. Also, they have quite a bit more power.
The ideal is still a plug-in-hybrid. The Volt has 40-50 miles of EV range which will cover most suburban and urban driving needs on 90% of days. The small battery negates issues with weight, requires less resources, and costs less. And then you can drive a 500 mile road trip on gas while being decently efficient.
Follow-up question : does thes issues have the same importance (CO2 emission vs tyres particulate emission) ? I have no problem trading "life in a 20m radius near a highway have an 1% increase in cancer rate" for "the global level of CO2 keeps increasing".
I’d imagine that CO2 emissions are probably the worse of the two, so EVs are definitely still a step in the right direction.
I suppose what I should have pointed out was that EVs are better than ICE but reducing our car dependence via improved public transit is probably going to be more impactful. Imo EVs are a great stopgap (much like this new Patagonia washer) but it’s imperative that we actually address our consumption as the root problem.
No, the issue is completely separate from CO2, and reducing green house gasses in almost all cases should have far higher priority.
The fine particulate matter problem is closer linked to some the diesel scandals of the last 10 years. With diesel cars and trucks, a lot of people cared a great deal about the fine particulate matter in their exhaust, and in some countries a large number of diesel engines were prematurely taken off the road (a waste of non-renewable resources on its own) or forced to upgrade to filter systems.
In those countries, the heated discussion about particulates completely went away - even though the issue is still there, and electric vehicles often emit far more than many gas power cars on the road, so the rate will increase further while EVs are adapted more. And unlike the particulate matter from a diesel engine, the stuff from your tiers washes away with the rain, ends up in the ocean and is a sizable contributor to microplastics pollution in water.
In the end, its just another inconvenient truth. EVs are not a silver bullet. The only thing that helps is to drive less. And almost nobody wants to hear that.
Not EV tires exactly, they mostly use the same tires as other vehicles, but the increased torque from electric motors means more tires wear and thus more particulate pollution. But on the other hand, EVs can use the motors to effectively slow the vehicle, leading to drastically reducing brakepad pollution (my car is 4 years old and coming up on 46k miles and the brakepads still look new.)
There is research into capturing and reducing this pollution, so I think it's going in a positive direction.
Do you have a link? Sounds like and extraordinary complicated problem from the technological side. We have millions of square miles of roads, and the fine particulate from tiers gets washed away by rain and ends up in the ocean and in our water supply.
I don't see any chance of really getting it out of the water, especially not out of rivers and oceans.
Sure: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1129809_tire-dust-is-pollution-and-this-invention-will-help-vehicles-clean-up-as-they-go
Tire companies are also looking at new designs that reduce the amount of pollution over the course of the tire lifetime. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1134669_goodyear-shows-how-to-make-tires-with-less-petroleum-emissions
Both are definitely issues in my opinion, but I was focusing on the fact that EVs tend to weight much more than ice cars and go through tires faster. As far as I’m aware though, I don’t think that EV tires are in any way more damaging that regular ones.