The design of the R1 hoody has pretty conspicuously changed as Patagonia’s customer base has shifted away from climbers and hikers and towards the fashion conscious with disposable income.

Regarding the fit, though, their sizing more generally might also have deliberately changed. I’d expect a “large” to be bigger in some places, for example, than it was twenty or thirty years ago, for the obvious reason.

I doubt that recycled materials play a role.