All you need to know
Worthy Earth Apparel is founded on sustainability and our need to recognise the saying 'There is no time like the present'. The textile industry is and continues to be the second largest pollutant in the world, behind petroleum production. As a designer, I will always try my best not to contribute to this and have aligned my brand's ethos with the 'Four pillars of sustainability'. They are as follows:
- Human sustainability: Human sustainability is the strive for human protection and improvement and ensures that no one is harmed in the process of making a product or providing a service. It invests in human wellbeing such as health and safety, access to food and water and ethical working conditions. This ethos is used to improve social capital both inside and outside of industries.
- Environmental sustainability: Environmental sustainability aims to protect our earth by preventing pollution from affecting the water, air, and land. It also takes in to consideration the impact that pollution has on people and wildlife.
- Economic sustainability: Economic sustainability aims to put people and planet above profit by ensuring that money does not come before ethics and environmental sustainability. It also aims to support local economies.
- Social sustainability: Social sustainability aims to promote sustainability within society. It considers the impact we have on others now and in the future, based on the choices we make today. It promotes knowledge and awareness of societal issues, human rights and environmentally harmful laws - all with the intention to protect, improve and further social development with sustainability in mind.
I have worked hard to ensure I have reached a level of sustainability that meets the qualifications of the areas previously stated. I aspire to constantly improve my methods and update everyone with the creation and inner-workings of my products. Now, with that being said, here are my inner-workings!
Human sustainability –
- My T-shirts are WRAP certified. WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) is an independent company which evaluates a manufacturer’s ethical standards using its 12-principal assessment system to do so. Some examples include compliance with laws and workplace regulations, health and safety and prohibition of forced labour, harassment and abuse. For the rest of their principals and any other information on WRAP, visit their website at https://wrap.org.uk
- My stickers are manufactured in the UK, meaning they have to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Environmental sustainability -
- My T-shirts are 100% organic cotton and vegan. If one of my t-shirts ends up in landfill (hopefully not!), being made from organic cotton will allow them to naturally biodegrade. My stickers are also 100% vegan and biodegradable.
- I recycle all the packaging that my products arrive to me in. All my own packaging is made from recycled materials and is recyclable.
- The company that prints my t-shirts use phthalate free inks and any excess is put back in the pot for reuse, making waste minimal. If there are any byproducts, they are disposed of appropriately.
- The company that prints my stickers use a printing machine which is CO2 neutral. They also recycle all cardboard waste and all their packaging is recyclable or biodegradable.
- All of the printing ink and cleaning liquids are made back into inks and reused. This is done by J&G Environmental.
Social Sustainability -
- As a form of protection for future generations, I have made sure that my products will not leave a lasting impact on our earth. I aim to bring awareness to the issues that the textile industry creates and I am actively trying to fight against them. I am a sole-trader with no employees and all the companies which I collaborate with are ethical and protect human rights.
Economic sustainability -
- Due to their organic and sustainable nature and their overall quality, the wholesale price of these t-shirts is roughly ten times more expensive than an average t-shirt at wholesale price. Although this is the case, I did not want to charge more than necessary for my products and so I have actively chosen to reduce their price in order to make them more widely affordable.
- I have also chosen to print my t-shirts in my local area, therefore supporting the local economy. My stickers are also printed in the UK.
- My t-shirts are sold in The Belfast School of Art Shop and by SporeShore, a local urban mushroom farm. This supports the local economy and the lovely artists and entrepreneurs in my area.
I will constantly be evaluating my products and packaging to see if I can make them even more sustainable. Any comments, feedback or suggestions are always welcome!
Thank you for supporting us and our Worthy Earth!
Many thanks,
Kristen