That's the advertising slogan for an outerwear manufacturer, printed in the New York Times. At first it sounds pretty strange. But upon closer inspection, the reason why the Californian company Patagonia is using exactly this heading to win over more customers, suddenly makes sense.
Reduction. Repairing. Reusing. Recycling. Rethinking. That is the Common Threats Initiative's five-step programme; a programme that the customer is introduced to when buying Patagonia products. The aim: to reduce consumption. Mankind's exploitation of resources is untenable at present levels.
So the initiative sees itself as a commitment to our environment. In order to fully exploit the life cycle of its textiles, the company has developed several steps. Reduction: the first step is to ask customers not to buy something they don't actually need. But if they do need the garment, they suggest that a durable product made of organic fibres should be bought. Repairing: should something tear or break, Patagonia offers a repair service. Reuse: the clothing that is no longer in use should be passed on. The company has set up their own special ebay platform specifically for the purpose, maximising the likelihood of finding a new home for those cupboard-hoggers. Recycling: at the end of this process, when the item is no longer viable as a piece of clothing, it should be recycled. And that is, of course, also a service offered by Patagonia.
Rethinking: we would love to see more visionary initiatives like this!
