10million pounds and counting -- we are thankful to be on this ride Patagonia!
When Patagonia’s Tin Shed Ventures first invested in Bureo Inc in 2014, we had a hunch it was going to be big. Ten years later, the California startup has kept over 10 million pounds of discarded plastic fishing nets out of the ocean to be turned into recycled materials for clothing and gear. That’s the equivalent poundage of roughly 283 shipping containers or 2.5 million Chicago deep dish pizzas. Bureo got its start transforming fishing nets into material for skateboards and sunglasses. When we linked arms to help them scale, our product innovation team spent years of R&D with Bureo to develop NetPlus material, a recycled nylon worthy of high-quality products such as our Baggies and Down Sweaters, and recycled HDPE for hat brims. Our goal has always been to develop and strengthen waste-based supply chains so other brands can use them, too. As of 2024, more than 20 brands are using NetPlus. It’s powerful proof that product innovation paired with investment can move mountains (of fishing nets). To see how it all started, check out our short film below. https://lnkd.in/gNgVXmD9