Know The Origin

A new push is emerging among fashion consumers to know the origin of the products they purchase. Many start-ups around the world are now focusing on producing clothing that mitigate the negative effects of fast fashion. But what chance do these small businesses have against the giants of the industry?

 

In today’s world where everything is at your fingertips, you can buy anything from anywhere and have it delivered to your door with minimal effort. As easy as it seems to flush out the best bargain online, do you ever stop and check where your product comes from or how it was made?

The Material matters

Every Eco Staples Tee is made from Bamboo, a highly sustainable plant which grows at an astounding rate of 4 feet per day, all without irrigation or fertilisers. At our textile partner factory, the raw bamboo is mechanically crushed in a closed loop process using non-toxic solvents made from amine oxide which break down Bamboo pulp in preparation for weaving. Nanotechnology is then employed to recover 99% of the solvents and water used so they can be utilised on the next batch, thereby producing significantly less waste.

 

Commonly available synthetic fibres such Rayon (aka Viscose) and natural fibres like Cotton respectively require harmful chemicals and immense irrigation in their production. When you realise the resulting pollution and damage incurred to workers’ health was just to produce a cheap T-shirt that you will probably replace next season, inexpensive fast fashion clothing starts to look quite costly.

A stitch above

Right now, there are thousands of garment factories pumping out astounding volumes of clothing and apparel. Supply is abundant and prices are low, but can you say for sure that the shirt on your back was made ethically?

We have partnered with a garment factory in Cambodia that has a long history of producing clothes for some of the world’s biggest brands. Thankfully for us, they also work with smaller Green start-ups like ourselves. It’s a win win for both parties as we are able to produce our Eco Tees in smaller quantities and they can supplement their business during the short lulls in production experienced from time to time.

Having developed a close working relationship with our partner, we have visited their facility numerous times and have personally observed a safe and comfortable working environment. They are a member of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia which ensures workers receive fair pay and most importantly, no forced or child labour is employed.

Thinking ahead

We sincerely hope this little insight into the garment production will make you pause to think about your consumption of fast fashion. Everyone loves a great bargain and that’s fine, but we all need to bear in mind the collective cost to the environment and workers’ health.