You may have caught our live Q&A with Demi a few months ago, from the amount of questions regarding sustainability we received we realised this is a topic that we needed to expand upon, and expand upon is what Demi has done!
Demi Johnson, expert Apparel Consultant and Founder of Get Stuff Made, has kindly joined us for this extra special “Extra Chapter” episode, or should we series, to share her expert insights and open the discussion on what it takes to be a sustainable brand.
This is a huge topic (that’s an understatement) and it can be overwhelming. If you have reached this blog you are probably already pretty conscious and are looking to do everything you can to launch a sustainable product, or become more sustainable within your business.
This podcast specifically tackles sustainability within apparel based businesses, but the insights will be transferable to most product based businesses.
Demi seriously had a WEALTH of knowledge within this field, due to this, we have decided to break down the series into a mini series. You can then absorb all the knowledge in bitesized pieces without feelings completely daunted by the topic.
The first two episodes are released now, with the next two to come!
We would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the subject. Both myself and Demi’s DM’s are open, or drop a comment below.
How the apparel industry is reacting to the demand for more sustainable options
How to approach sustainability without feeling overwhelmed
With a vast amount of choice and differing options, Demi talks us through the existing and emerging sustainable materials on the market.
The importance of choosing a material that will create a quality product
Ensuring you choose what is most important to you, as it’s hard to tick all the boxes
We cover the impact that your product has at every stage from inception, to the customer receiving their order, to the longevity of the product, right through to when the product reaches the end of its use (lifecycle). Demi offers some great tips and examples of how other small businesses are approaching this subject
This covers the conditions and treatment of anyone involved in your supply chain. Most commonly looking at issues such as lack of paying a living wages, child labour (commonly heard of but not common in practise anymore), forced overtime, lack of holiday & sick pay.
We discuss the need to have an understanding of the cultural practises of a country to really get to grips with the conditions expectations.
Materials
Econyl – Regenerated Nylon
Elvis & Kresse – Brand who make bags from firehouse material
Environmental footprint
Zellar – will review of your business and give you steps on how to achieve a ‘carbon zero’ footprint
Patagonia Worn Wear Scheme (Instagram account)
Ten tree – Company offering a service for customer to pay to offset impact
Ethical & Social
