The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world, following the biggest offender the oil industry. We don’t want to stick our heads in the sand and ignore these facts. In fact, we want to do as much as we can to reduce our hands in it.
Though the biggest contributors to this are fast fashion brands, there is a lot to be done by being an industry leader and setting an example by raising our standards. Polyester is a popular fabric used in performance outdoor clothing. On a technical level it is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic made from oil, that has been processed into a state that can then be used to knit or weave fabrics.
Once any type of plastic has been produced it will long outlive any of us as it doesn’t naturally break down or decompose. Every piece of plastic that has ever been made still exists today.
We have partnered with REPREVE®, the worlds leading recycled fibre manufacturer to make our performance fishing fabrics out of recycled plastic bottles, which otherwise end up in our landfills and oceans. They have recycled over 20 billion plastic bottles and counting.
The awesome thing about using plastic bottles to make recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) is that it directly minimises the impact of the two biggest industries contributing to global pollution. RPET uses 54% fewer emissions to produce than virgin polyester, and it gives a second life to a product that would otherwise pollute our environment or end up in the landfill. So not only is RPET reducing waste it is also minimising the production of new polyester, conserving our finite water and oil supplies, and overall being less harmful to our environment.
Keep an eye out for our REPREVE® tag on our products to find the ones made with recycled plastic bottles.
Approximately 10,000L of water is consumed to produce 1kg of cotton. As part of our sustainability journey, we are always seeking new ways reduce our impact. In line with this, we have added 65% recycled cotton into our tees, singlets, hoods and other cotton products.
Our recycled cotton is derived from gathering cotton scraps on factory floors. The fibres are then mechanically shredded, so they can be re-spun into new yarn.
With our recycled cotton being sourced from excess fabrics collected from the apparel industry we are:
1. Decreasing the amount of textile waste that reaches landfills.
2. Significantly reducing the amount of water used in the clothing production process.
3. Reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides that effects both the land and the workers.
4.Reducing CO2 emissions and water pollution resulting from dyeing.