OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Since day one, it’s always been about giving back, protecting the places we play and leaving the smallest of footprints.
We're doing our best to make things in a way that help preserve the places we love and explore every day. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and what we do today, but we’re never complacent and will continue to push for more, every single day.
From the beginning, our mission has been to create high quality garments in the most responsible and ethical way. We therefore integrate sustainability into everything we do, making deliberate decisions about who we work with, how we work & what materials we use. Being engaged at every step of our supply chain, building long-term relationships with our partner factories and suppliers, as well as having an innovative company culture, constantly pushes us forward to make a real difference.
Recycled Materials
We’re committed to using recycled materials wherever we can.
Across the board, we’re using almost-exclusively recycled materials in the gear we make – down to the tag.
Our latest tees, hoods and sweats range are at the cutting edge of sustainable fabrics. 50% Recycled pre and post consumer cotton and 50% Organic cotton, we’ve hit the sweet spot between day-in day-out durability and forward thinking sustainability.
We’re using almost-exclusively recycled materials in the gear we make.
Recycled polyester is an essential fiber for us. Found in our sweaters, hats and more, its lightweight and quick-drying properties make it invaluable for much of our water-based gear.
Beyond our clothing, we’re committed to using recycled materials wherever we can in our business – whether that’s in the hangtag attached to your new gear.
Organic Cotton
Organic farming upholds biodiversity and supports a healthier ecosystem.
When possible, we use recycled or upcycled materials. When we can’t, we shift our focus to organic cotton.
Normally, cotton can be the largest water users of any crop. In areas of low precipitation, farmers have to implement irrigation systems that lead to freshwater loss, poor water management and a bigger carbon footprint.
When we can’t go recycled, we can still go responsible.
But organic cotton is intentionally farmed in areas of heavy rainfall so nature can do its thing and unnatural irrigation can be avoided altogether. Further, organic farming upholds biodiversity and supports a healthier ecosystem.
After 50 day in the ground, Only the labels remained with some residue.
OUR IMPACT - BIODEGRADABLE?
Imagine the environmental difference we could make if all clothes were made from organic cotton, like our t-shirts, or from other biodegradable or compostable fibres like Lenzing. To illustrate our point, our manufacturer decided to bury a blank t-shirt in the garden of an employee at the beginning of October this year. Fifty days later we went back to see what had happened to it. Virtually nothing remained, except for the inside label which is made in Recycled Polyester. The rest had disintegrated back into the earth. It is this circular model that we will keep on improving and researching in the years ahead.
Plant & Protect
For every order that is made with us online, we plant a tree. It is that simple.
True to our roots, for every order we plant a tree, now and always. It’s a direct and simple way for us to give back to the places that mean the most.
How does Plant & Protect work?
For every order, we plant a tree. Once we've received an order from you we make a donation to our charity partners. They're tree planting and conservation experts, so they pick which active initiatives will have the most impact at that time. They use our donation to support the chosen project by funding one newly planted tree.
Is planting trees greenwashing?
Yes, it can be. We've been planting trees since day one and there weren’t many of us doing it back then. Putting roots in the ground is just one part of our responsibility initiatives, but it’s the part we are most known for.
It’s a simple, direct and real way for our community to give back with every purchase. Many other businesses now choose to plant trees too which we love, but no matter whether it’s popular or not, we’ll keep on planting trees today and tomorrow as we always have.
By planting one million trees, we are aiming to:
reduce carbon
improve air quality
reduce flooding
increase urban cooling
support and enhance biodiversity
improve physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Belfast One Million Trees was inspired by an original idea from the Belfast Metropolitan Residents Group and it is a collaboration between public, private and voluntary sector partners.We have currently planted 63,000 trees in Belfast and our city regions.
Leave no Trace Packaging
The ocean’s future is our future. That is why we exists & protect it together.
The plastic crisis facing the planet is causing untold environmental damage and we believe we have a responsibility to ourselves, our customers and the planet to make our packing as sustainable as possible.
That’s why we’re delighted to announce that as of October 2022 all new products and any re-stocked items are being sent to you in “LEAVE NO TRACE BAGS”.
When you realise how much plastic is in the world and how damaging it can be; it’s a sobering thought. We’ve talked before about how as an individual you can feel powerless to make a difference, but we’re confident that the decisions we make as a community here, together, will have an impact.
Sadly, one of the many negative by-products of COVID-19 is that it has also led to a surge in the use of single use plastic, which underscores even further the fact that we need better solutions and fast. We’re proud to do our bit, however small, to help reduce the amount of damaging plastic in circulation, so it doesn’t end up in landfill or our oceans.
Plantable Lavender Seed Tags
Our tags grow into plants.
As the focus on reducing waste and minimising plastic use grows, using eco-friendly tags has become an important focus.
So what is plantable seed tags? It is exactly how it is described – biodegradable, recycled paper which is embedded with seeds. The paper is made with cotton fibre waste using a traditional manufacturing process. The pulp is poured into the traditional sieves, the selected seeds are added and the mixture distributed evenly. To ensure that the seeds germinate well, the paper sheets are subjected to rapid drying and finally cold pressing. Because the seed paper has different densities, the paper sheets can vary slightly in weight.
When the seed paper is planted in soil it will grow into plants– a completely 100% eco-friendly promotional product that leaves no waste behind!
