Toad & Co. Apparel

In today's world, choosing apparel that looks and feels great isn't the only consideration. Increasingly, consumers are opting for apparel makers that are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint and produce clothing in a more sustainable way. Enter Toad & Co.

A glance at our line of Toad & Co. apparel proves the company knows a lot about producing functional, fashionable clothing that today's consumers crave. If that's all Toad & Co. did, it could call itself a success. But the company isn't satisfied with just producing great fashion.

Toad & Co. began in a garage in Colorado in 1991 with a woman who painstakingly made toque hats for her friends. Fast forward four years and the company opened its first retail location, expanding its line to include fleece vests and jackets. 

An opportunity in 1997 would set the stage for Toad & Co. to become a company that cares about community and the planet, not just profits. That was the year Toad & Co. started a partnership with Search, Inc., to co-found Planet Access Company (PAC), a logistics warehouse providing opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Under the partnership, Toad & Co. provides fleece scraps from production of its apparel and Search's clients sew the scraps to produce pillowcases, which are distributed to outdoor gear stores across the nation. Proceeds from the sale of the pillowcases go back to PAC and are used for further development as well as for sending the workers on vacations to enjoy the great outdoors. Within a year, all of the company's inventory was being processed by PAC workers. 

By 2000, the venture had launched PAC's sister program, Search for Adventure, with proceeds from PAC, coupled with grants from Toad & Co., providing amazing outdoor adventures for people with disabilities--most experiencing such ventures for the first time in their lives. The program has provided over 80 excursions to destinations ranging from the Appalachian Trail to the Bahamas to New York City. Today, PAC employs up to 70 adults with disabilities, providing them with paid, train-to-work opportunities.

But there's more. Employees take part in public land clean-ups and volunteer with local disability awareness advocacy groups. The company is a 1% for the Planet member and all Toad & Co. locations have their own Renewable Energy Certificates, which are used to offset energy use, as well as support carbon reduction projects and development of emission-free renewable energy sources.

With an acknowledgement that the apparel industry is the fourth biggest polluter of air and water on the planet, Toad & Co. is dedicated to minimizing its environmental impact while helping to "clean up" the apparel industry. To that end, Toad & Co. has carefully chosen like-minded partners, from manufacturing to retail, to support social and environmental progress. Over the past 20 years, the company and its partners have helped fund more than 120 environmental protection organizations, employed about 400 adults with disabilities and funded trips for over 500. 

And, did we mention they make some great clothing? Check out our line of Toad & Co. apparel.