US-based outdoor gear and apparel company Patagonia, Inc., has expanded its Common Threads Recycling Programme to include any used Polartec-branded fleece garments whether they were produced by Patagonia or any of its competitor companies. It will also now recycle Patagonia cotton t-shirts through the programme which initially only accepted Capilene baselayers produced Patagonia.

With this expansion, worn-out Patagonia and Polartec fleece, Patagonia cotton tees and Capilene baselayers will feed Patagonia’s supply chain to make new clothing for future seasons.

Commenting on the expanded programme president and CEO, Casey Sheahan, said,  “Our goal is to assume full responsibility for our products, as well as our competitors’ products, at the end of their useful life,” adding, “Moving forward, we hope to expand the world view of recycling beyond just cans, newspapers and bottles—we’re aiming to make clothing a recyclable resource.”

Since the launch of the Common Threads programme in September 2005, Patagonia has collected over 1,000 pounds of used Capilene baselayers to be recycled into new garments.