[jancsika]

> Surely if they truly wanted to minimise their impact on the planet, they would rid their stores of sales and cut back on the amount of new styles/designs that they release.

Yes-- if Patagonia weren't a capitalist endeavor it would have a smaller impact on the planet. :)

I'd venture to guess that the largest minimization occurs because their customers can wear a large number of their garments for a decade or more before they begin to break down due to normal wear and tear. Moreover, one could send back any garment from any period in their history (barring underwear) and if it's salvageable they'll repair it. Their refurbishing program even supports at least one brick-and-mortar refurbished clothing store that I know of.

Can you imagine the environmental impact if Apple had anything resembling such a program? Or hell, if Apple simply ceased lobbying against the right-to-repair...