Patagonia

Men's Great Waves Responsibili-Tee®

T-ShirtsSKU: 37873

Safe to wear, but flimsy build.

↳ Safe basics, but expect to replace it sooner.

Material C · 62Health B · 70Eco · 69Label · moderate

Label Confidence

MODERATE

Label confidence moderate — one signal suggests the composition may be incomplete or under-verified.

⚠Recycled-fiber claim without explicit certification (GRS, RCS). Chain-of-custody for recycled materials is hard to verify without one.

How fabric labels can mislead — and what to look for →

Why this material grade?

This product scored 62/100 on the 7-axis material rubric, based on its composition of 50% Recycled Cotton, 50% Postconsumer Recycled Polyester. Blended from 50% Recycled Cotton, 50% Recycled Polyester — the score is a weighted average based on each material's proportion.

C (55-69): Average material composition — typical blend, reasonable for everyday wear.

What this score doesn't measure

×Fiber grade. Staple length, micronaire, strength. "100% cotton" could be short-staple upland or long-staple Pima — same label, very different fabric.
×Yarn processing. Singles count, ply (single vs two-ply), spinning method (open-end vs ring-spun vs compact), mercerization. Invisible from any label.
×Knit / weave structure. Single jersey vs interlock, knit tightness. A loose knit pills; a tight knit lasts.
×Fabric weight (GSM). One construction signal among several — and high GSM can come from loose cheap yarn just as easily as from fine tight yarn. We have it for blank manufacturers, rarely for retail.
×Pre-shrink processing. Sanforized cotton shrinks ~1%; non-sanforized can shrink up to 10%. Not visible from the composition tag.
×Construction quality. Stitch density (SPI), seam types, collar geometry, manufacturing tolerances (AQL). These often matter more than the fiber itself.
×Specific chemical loads. Health Impact flags "likely PFAS / possible formaldehyde" from composition × category — we don't lab-test individual SKUs.

We rate the fabric, not the garment. Composition is the floor of what you're guaranteed to be getting — most shoppers don't have that.

Composition

50% Recycled Cotton, 50% Postconsumer Recycled Polyester

50% Recycled Cotton (62)50% Recycled Polyester (62)

Average quality, high synthetic content

Decent for everyday wear, but the synthetic content means microplastic shedding and it won't biodegrade. Consider natural alternatives for your next purchase.

🔬

Every wash of synthetic fabric releases up to 700,000 microplastic fibers into waterways. Use a Guppyfriend bag to catch them.

🌍

This fabric will take 200+ years to decompose. That means a shirt you buy today will still exist in the year 2226.

⚠️

Synthetic fabrics can contain BPA, which mimics estrogen. Studies have found BPA transferring to skin through sweat contact.