I love Patagonia for a hundred different reasons, but now I have reason number 101: check out this video on their expanded recycling program. Timmy O’Neil is hilarious.
We have a box by the Capilene racks at each of our stores if you have anything to recycle. The program now includes Capilene and anything Polartec, regardless of whether it’s made by Patagonia. So don’t throw away that ratty pair of underwear (or that fleece jacket, or anything else that’s made from one of these materials). Recycle it!

Why recycle your old threads? Well, it’s simple: synthetic fabrics like Capilene and Polartec are derived from oil, and with the massive amounts of clothing made today, the garment industry consumes a considerable amount of oil. If you choose to recycle, you’ll gain the satisfaction of knowing that your old clothing won’t end up in a landfill (or on a polluted beach like in the video), and that Patagonia will consume less oil to produce next season’s clothing.
Here’s what Patagonia has to say about it:

Way too much of what is made these days ends up in the trash at the end of its useful life. At Patagonia, we’re working to change that.
In 2005 we launched our Common Threads Garment Recycling Program, through which customers could return their worn out Capilene