The Monster in Our Closet | Patagonia Films

Plastics are essential to building durable, high-performance clothing. But they’re also accelerating the environmental crisis, from the fossil fuels used to make materials like polyester to the plastic pollution that piles up once that clothing has been tossed. Through the eyes of a lawyer, a climate reporter, and a Patagonia designer, The Monster In Our Closet uncovers the dangerous threads that connect the clothing industry to the oil and gas industry and what we can all do on the individual, business, and government levels to create the change that our planet needs.

Learn more about how Patagonia is rethinking plastics in products and our goal to eliminate virgin petroleum from our supply chain: Patagonia/whyplastics

[kriscanuck]

Love me some Patagonia, but not a single mention about micro-plastics in our drinking water and water sources around the world. Recycling polyester is a step towards better than before, but still does nothing to reduce the amount of micro-plastics in our water, environment and our bodies. Don't settle for doing better with recycling, keep pushing for better: alt-fabrics and NO POLYESTER EVER.

[vidardons]

It's funny how "repair and reuse" has become a political act. It used to be just the normal thing to do. And, now it's more important than ever.

[davidhuth]

More of this needs to be shared. Most of us don't even understand our impact.

[sgr]

I spied “All We Can Save” on Kendra Pierre-Lewis’ bookshelf. Great read!

[headwerkn]

What a wonderful film. And timely. I guess my next question is will companies like Patagonia who’ve invested considerable amounts of money into developing technical fabrics that utilise recycled and/or more sustainable materials, then make those fabrics available for smaller, cottage outdoor industry garment/equipment manufacturers so they too can play their role? A three-person business making specialised packs or short run garments obviously lack the millions required to develop their own proprietary materials, and are thus limited to what’s already available on the market. Probably not the best move in terms a business’ competitive advantage, admittedly (!) but if you want to be a true instrument of change, don’t be afraid to lend your tools to those who’d otherwise not have them. Just a thought ;-)

[clb]

I am all for this but what no one is talking about is the cost of it. there ALOT of people who don't have that kind of money to buy durable clothing. those natural fabrics/fibers are expensive so now the question is" how to make affordable durable clothing?"

[johnfagot]

Feeling a little guilty, thank you for the reminder that every choice we make has impact. Keep up the good work and putting these messages out there.

[odinrhode]

thank you for continuing to support amazing movements patagonia!

[cavemancyproductions]

I wear the same 5 t-shirts I have since highschool and army years... am 39 now, so am talking about using the same clothes for over 20 years. Used to be more than just 5, maybe around 15 but my wife throw them away, I salvaged what I could and saved it AND am gonna wear it till I die and I don't give a fuck if I look like a homeless person 😂😂 just because I can, but also because I hate capitalism.

[べっこう飴-sy]

Thanks for putting Japanese subtitles in this, l feel most Japanese have low awareness of environmental issues.

[sPGgwUxYrSdCfH]

Carbon emission aren’t the biggest problems with plastics. Disrupting ocean ecosystems is more scary in my opinion. We can sequester carbon from carbon dioxide, we can’t remove plastics from inside of animals. Reducing consumption and getting away from the disposable mind set is key. But that’s not convenient for most Americans. Nor is it profitable for corporations. Eliminating plastic usage entirely is impossible. Plastics are in every aspect of our lives, most people just don’t notice them. We certainly can strive to use less, dispose of less and make more informed decisions with our purchases though. Thinking about your clothing is a good place to start. Hopefully films like this help move our consumption habits in better directions.

[timothybmonahan]

Patagonia films are vital education on a wide variety of topics. This continues this wonderful value delivery. THANKS!!

[bradgantt]

Brilliant. An important story really well told. I particularly liked the idea of diverting a percentage of the energy you'd normally be spending optimizing or perfecting your life towards community efforts and service. And as always, I appreciate Patagonia's willingness to embrace an examined (business) life, imperfections and all, in service of improving and ultimately providing a well-lit path for others to follow in their own way.

[aaronwimberleymbamsf]

Very eye opening- thanks for sharing your professional vision of the difference between disposable and fast fashion, versus products that live past their style and use expiration dates.

[kirasoleil]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 thank you for creating this film

[kylefitzpatrick]

Patagonia has accomplished incredible things in the world of clothing and environmental activism. Its commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility is undeniable. But when scanning the products offered on their website, it’s striking how difficult it is to find anything that doesn’t contain plastic—typically in the form of synthetic fibers like polyester or nylon.

For the majority of customers—let's say 80%—these technical materials probably aren't even necessary. Most aren’t scaling mountains or trekking through arctic conditions; they’re wearing these clothes for urban commutes, casual hikes, or everyday use.

I understand that Patagonia needs to remain competitive in the outdoor apparel market to continue funding its activism and influencing industry standards. There may even be a utilitarian argument to be made—that by staying relevant, the brand can do more good overall. But at what cost? Relying so heavily on synthetics contributes significantly to the growing crisis of microplastic pollution, which Patagonia itself has acknowledged.

Time to redefine what responsible performance wear looks like. And perhaps the harder truth we all have to wrestle with is this: if protecting the outdoors requires gear that harms the environment, maybe the most responsible choice is to rethink the trip entirely. If your connection to nature depends on clothing that pollutes it—maybe, just maybe—it’s worth asking if going at all is the right call.

[domo]

'Buy wise buy once'. That's why we buy Patagonia's gear.. It's quality and repair and recycling service is exemplary.

[desidrogenase]

That's one more reason why social inequality must be repaired, many people buy fast fashion because it's the only type of garments they can pay for

[carlolucas]

Thank you for such a compelling documentary, super interesting stuff. I would just like to make on comment: several times in the documentary you mention how this is all the industry’s/companies’ fault, and that consumers are just victims of their marketing and products. I think this is false, not addressing the fact that consumers willingly spend thousands of dollars with brands like Shein when they could buy better stuff elsewhere is missing some of the point.

Companies are to blame, but we also need to recognise that they are just giving what most customers want: low prices no matter what. I’ll give you an example, whenever my mum - a doctor with plenty of disposable income - comes to visit me in the UK the first thing she does is go to shops like Topshop/Primark to buy £5 shirts and £1 socks. She knows fully well why those clothes are cheap (poor materials, no care for the environment, poorly paid workers) but she doesn’t care at all, she just wants to buy the cheap stuff (and buy loads of it!). Same is true for my ex-girlfriend and her weekly deliveries of Zara clothing. In my opinion, individual accountability is something that needs to be part of the equation if we want to solve climate change.

[KCora]

Thank you for putting this information out there! I love the causes this company supports. The only thing I wish is that you offered more inclusive sizing.