Footprint Chronicles

The Way Upstream community has been vocal in its appreciation for the transparency that this blog provides with regard to gear for fishing. It has given the community a voice that didn't really exist before. Well Patagonia has taken things a few footsteps further by becoming the first major apparel manufacturer to track and expose the social and environmental impact of building specific products through The Footprint Chronicles, an interactive website that reveals to consumers the good and the bad involved in manufacturing outdoor clothing such as Synchilla fleece vests and rain shells. In a bold move that might make most companies nervous, Patagonia is determined to be candid and forthright about its impact on the environment and created the site to encourage dialog with its customers who are concerned about the environment.

"Our customers are scientists, activists, professors, doctors and more – they have the collective experience and knowledge we’re looking for," said Casey Sheahan (Patagonia CEO). "We’re highlighting exactly what happens in the manufacturing process and asking customers for their suggestions and help in efforts to find solutions to our less sustainable practices. It’s a unique dialogue to engage in – but one that will ultimately allow us to cause less harm to the planet."

According to Jill Dumain, Patagonia’s director of environmental programs, the research involved in developing the Chronicles has proved to actually drive major business decisions at Patagonia. The Chronicles revealed that transportation makes up only about 1 percent of our overall energy use,” said Dumain. “Had we listened to the current media buzz touting transportation as the largest factor in energy consumption, we might have greatly misplaced our efforts by making strides to geographically shorten our supply chain – which would have massively impacted our business financially, logistically and perhaps even effected product quality – and we would only have reduced our energy savings by 1 percent. Instead, we are focusing our energy on areas where we can truly make a difference – right in the heart of the manufacturing process."

The launch of The Footprint Chronicles puts into practice a prototype that hopes to inspire other companies to increase their transparency, and at the very least, raise awareness.

The Footprint Chronicles includes more than 35 filmed interviews and slideshows of factory workers, farmers, owners, designers and third-party auditors to provide an unprecedented level of transparency both internally and externally - from the factories and manufacturing partners that create its products, to the end of the product’s lifespan.

Press release excerpt by Jenn Rapp

Factory photo by Steve Swartzendruber
Footprint photo by Tim Borski