Support us through Ebay-Patagonia auction

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been chosen to receive proceeds from the online auction connected to the launch of the Ebay and Patagonia Common Threads partnership in the UK in the UK.

Common Threads is more than just an online storefront/collaboration between Ebay and Patagonia. It is an initiative that aims to boldly change the way we consume.

Participants do not just shop for second hand Patagonia clothes, they sign a pledge to really live the 4 Rs (Reduce, Repair, Reuse and Recycle). Participants pledge to “wrest the full life out of every Patagonia product by buying used when I can, and selling what I no longer wear to keep it in circulation”.

Common Threads has successfully provided a marketplace for Patagonia clothes for reuse, via individual sellers, in the US since 2011 and now it is launching now in the UK.

For the launch, Ebay and Patagonia are sponsoring an auction, with some celebrity items – including a jacket worn by adventurer Ben Fogle – and we’re really excited to have been chosen as the only recipient of funds raised. Take a look at the items for sale – and bid generously! The auction ends May 18.

R1 Jacket donated by presenter, writer, and adventurer Ben Fogle

Parka donated by Patagonia ambassador and alpinist Matt Helliker

Ready Mix Jacket & R1 Hoody donated by Patagonia ambassador and climber Zoe Hart

Nuevo Rancho Jacket donated by Patagonia’s VP of Environmental Affairs and author Rick Ridgeway

For us it is not just about funds raised. We feel Ebay plays an important role in creating an accessible marketplace for parts and enabling reuse. And we see Patagonia as a company that is shaking things up, and showing that there is a market for quality and longevity. Because by opening up this second hand market, and looking into extending the life of its products, Patagonia is reaching out to new customers. They are leading the way in showing that manufacturers and brands will only benefit from deepening engagement with their customers and appealing to them based on sustainable values.

When we imagine a better future, we imagine a company like Patagonia in the electronics industry. It is really worth reading about Patagonia’s values and imagining them in practice elsewhere.

We were also really flattered that Patagonia saw a match in us – they told us that they liked that we have started with grassroots action, but that we have a longer-term ambition to scale, and positively influence manufacturers and policy.