Recycled TPU
Recycled TPU decreases our dependence on virgin petroleum without sacrificing durability or weather-resistant performance.
Why
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a crucial part of what makes our Black Hole® products so durable. When applied onto fabric, this laminate coating creates a material that’s extremely weather-resistant and abrasion-resistant, so your gear can withstand the most rugged of travels.
But building a plastic-based finish—one that makes up nearly half the fabric weight in our Black Hole products—means tapping virgin petroleum as a source for raw material. To reduce our reliance on fossil fuels without losing the performance our gear needs, we’re making more products with recycled TPU, a change that decreases our carbon emissions by 91 % per kilogram compared to those associated with virgin TPU, based on the Higg Material Sustainability Index, version 3.6. It’s the latest step in Patagonia’s path to using 100% preferred materials across our entire line by 2025.
Made from manufacturing waste
Pounds of CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) we avoided by using recycled TPU instead of virgin TPU in select Spring 2024 Black Hole products.
Where We Are
Our Spring 2024 collection includes expanded Black Hole products made with recycled TPU sourced from postindustrial waste—our Black Hole® Packs (25L and 32L), Black Hole® Cubes (3L, 6L and 14L), Black Hole® Duffels (40L, 55L, 70L and 100L), Black Hole® Gear Tote, Black Hole® Mini MLC®, Black Hole® MLC®, Black Hole® MLC® Cube and Black Hole® Rod Case. In total, this accounts for 82% of TPU by weight across our Spring 2024 product line.
What’s Next
We are in the process of converting more of our Black Hole products to recycled TPU material, but we’re also thinking bigger. Currently, TPU can only be recycled if it’s separated from polyester, but our material innovation team is actively working on ways to create a 100% recyclable TPU that can be used again and again.