Find out what we’ve been doing to improve our eco-footprint
One of the best things about running a small business is our agility to make changes to ensure we have a business we’re proud of. This has never been more relevant than right now, and the actions we’re taking to reduce our impact on the environment. From the collection to the packaging, below you’ll find an honest account of what we’ve been doing, and what we’re planning.
ORGANIC COTTON
We use organic cotton and Oeko-Tex certified cotton but you’ll see that we’re gradually moving all cotton over to organic and it won’t be long before everything is. This isn’t because there’s anything wrong with Oeko-Tex certified cotton - it's a good alternative to organic - but because we’re working with manufacturers who are experts in organic fabrics and it’s great to have a consistent message across all products for our customers. Ultimately, the growing of organic cotton is kind to the environment and that’s our key concern.
INKS
We use water-based inks so there are no nasty water-polluting chemicals used in production.
NATURAL RUBBER
Our rain boots are made from natural rubber which is both recyclable and phthalate-free. They are also packaged in a recycled cardboard box.
TISSUE PAPER AND STICKERS
We want to create less waste so when we recently used up the last of our tissue paper and stickers we took the decision not to replenish them. Orders will arrive in more minimal packaging but, never fear, everything will still feel special. This is because each individual item will continue to arrive in our clear garment polybags which have recently been upgraded (more about them below) and so the tissue paper, though lovely, felt like an unnecessary and wasteful layer. We hope you agree.
CLEAR GARMENT POLYBAGS
If you’ve purchased one of our newer products, you’re very likely to have received it in one of our new polybags which are printed with our brand name and look and feel really luxe. Yes, these are still plastic, BUT they’ve been made from recycled plastic and they can also be recycled. But why are we still using plastic at all? We hear you ask. Well, every piece of clothing delivered to us has to be stored and this happens in a large warehouse. With the best will in the world, warehouses can be a little dusty, so every garment needs to be protected because if they get dirty or damaged, they can’t be sold, and an item that can’t be sold, is ultimately waste. For a garment that’s never been worn and never been passed down, that’s really unforgivable. So, for now, our recycled, recyclable polybags are our best option. We did look into others – like compostable bags – but these currently have too short a shelf life, and naturally start to breakdown after several months which just isn’t a viable option for clothing storage. So, we’re happy with our polybag progress, but rest assured, we’re always on the hunt for improvements and as technologies improve, we’ll improve too.
COTTON BAGS
Our cotton bags are given away with larger orders (because we know that the little things still make a big difference and we like to look after our customers) but we’ve changed the design so they have longer shopping handles giving you a ‘bag for life’ option to fold up and pop in your handbag for later use. These bags are also made from recycled cotton.
MAILING BAGS
If you’ve ordered from us, you’ll know that these look great – they’re white with lots of fox faces printed all over them - and because they’re plastic, they protect your order regardless of the weather. BUT, they’re plastic, and we want to change them pronto! We order these in HUGE quantities though - literally thousands of them a time (you have to with this kind of item) - and we still have a fair few left so the eco-upgrade, while at the forefront of our minds, is not yet possible. So if you receive your order in these, please know that we’re very aware of the need for change, and we’re on it. We cannot simply replace them with an eco-alternative without using them up as this does nothing other than add to landfill.
GIFT BOXES AND RAIN BOOT BOXES
Our new gifting boxes and rain boot boxes are both made from recycled cardboard and can be recycled. Our swaddles and quilts are also packaged in cardboard boxes made from recycled materials.
GLOBAL FRIENDS
If you’ve been following or shopping with us for a while, you’ll know that we used to manufacture entirely in the UK. This was great for being able to visit the factories, reduce our carbon footprint and know, first hand, that we were also supporting other small businesses. As time has gone on however, we’ve had to expand our manufacturing net and we now make products in Portugal, Pakistan and China. Why? Our Portuguese garment manufacturer is incredibly knowledgeable, has THE most beautifully soft all-organic fabrics (and much wider access to it), and can create pieces we couldn’t make previously. We’re excited by all the possibility for future collections. As for our plans for rain boots and muslins, well, we tried for at least two years to find UK manufacturers that could help to no avail. To our knowledge, you cannot currently make rubber rain boots in the UK. And while you can ‘finish’ the muslin products (swaddles, quilts and playmats) in the UK and claim the item is ‘Made in the UK’ (which widely happens in the world of manufacturing) this isn’t something we wanted to do. We’ve worked really closely with these new factories and are confident in their superior workmanship and ethical guidelines. Our muslin is organic and our rain boots are made from natural recyclable rubber. The products are beautiful, original and more than worthy of our #passthemdown mantra and we’re lucky to have found these new suppliers.
So this is where we are currently at but we'll be working on improvements all the time and we'll keep you up-to-date on any developments!
