Sustainability

As a small business, it is very important to us that we are transparent about our operations and commitment to sustainability. We're constantly evolving and seeking ways to make our productions more ethical.

Currently, we work with 2 local companies. One of them is located in Hamilton, ON where our clothing is embroidered on. The other factory that we work with is located in Mississauga, ON where our clothing is cut and sewn. Both of these factories are located within 15 km of where we are based off, which helps us keep our carbon emissions very low. We are also able to visit the factories we work with at anytime, though due to COVID-19 this has not been possible. Employees at both locations are treated well in accordance with the Ontario Employment Standards. 

All of our fabric is cut, sewn and dyed in Mississauga, ON and the fabric and cotton is provided by a company based out of North York, ON. Our cotton is certified organic by GOTS. 

Our sweaters are made out of 50% organic cotton and 50% recycled/reused polyester. This means we are using dead-stock material (aka scraps).

Our tote bags, shirts and masks are also 100% cotton.

- durability, light-weight material, easy to care

- though recyclable, it does take a long time for polyester to biodegrade. This is exactly why we prefer to use dead stock polyester to make our products.

- more environmentally friendly, less impact on the eco-system, less pesticides used

Cons of Organic Cotton:

- may use more resources, high demand product, slow certification process, more expensive to produce 

All of our garments are made in very limited quantities, in accordance with the projection of sales for each item. This is to ensure that we are not

over-producing any of our items. 

The design on sweaters, t-shirts, tote bags and masks are applied in-house using vinyl. The vinyl is applied on a made to order basis, where the vinyl is only applied when the item is purchased. 

Vinyl is certainly not the most sustainable option. In the past, we experimented with other methods, and found that vinyl was the most durable option. Our garments are made to last and printing designs using vinyl allows us to achieve that. We are currently exploring more sustainable alternatives to vinyl, without sacrificing quality.

This is one of the areas where we are actively seeking more sustainable options. At this time, we are not plastic free in our packaging practices. Currently, we are using recyclable poly-mailers. However, we know that though recyclable, poly-mailers takes up more energy to recycle. 

The reason why we are using poly-mailers at this time is to due their durability. Aside from the poly-mailer, we do not have any more plastic in our packaging (ie: unlike the norm, we do not put our products in a plastic sleeve)

We are currently looking into compostable mailers. When we make the switch, we will be sure to let you know.