OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
We acknowledge the environmental and social impact fashion has on the planet. We pledge to do more for our clothes, our suppliers and our communities.
We have assessed our business and developed a plan to enable us to be READY FOR THE FUTURE.
We are going to keep you updated on our progress, be honest and upfront on the changes we are implementing.
Our next chapter is still in the making.
FOCUS AREA 1:
CLOTHES.MADE SMARTER
Making our clothes in a smarter way - with better materials, more sustainable design and less waste packaging.
FOCUS AREA 2:
SUPPLIERS.ON BETTER TERMS
Doing more for our suppliers - transparent supply chains, improved standards and management and a long-term commitment to those that work in fashion.
FOCUS AREA 3:
OUR BUSINESS. TAKING ACTION
Running our business responsibly - strong governence, a great place to work, tackling climate change, responsible marketing and a role in communities we can all be proud of.
The READY FOR THE FUTURE strapline and icons will be used on any garment that meets our guidelines.
THE WASH-WELL GUIDE
REWEAR, REUSE, RECYCLE
REGAIN APP
Washing clothes well helps to extend their life cycle, while also looking after the planet. The Wash-Well Guide is full of tips to help reduce the release of fabric fibres and be kinder to the environment.
- WASH LESS - Only wash your clothes when they need it. Leaving longer between loads will ultimately prolong the life of your items.
- FILL IT UP - Washing a full load results in less friction between the clothes and saves on your electricity bills.
- KEEP IT LOW - Washing at low temperatures, will use less energy and reduce CO2 emissions.
- BIN IT - When cleaning the dryer, put lint in the bin and never down your drains.
- SPEED IT UP - Long periods of washing can cause more friction between fabrics, so it’s always best to avoid long washing cycles.
- LOOK FOR ECO-LABELS - Some of the chemicals used in washing detergent can have a negative environmental impact, so look out for eco-labels.
- AIR-DRY - Save energy and money by air-drying your clothes when possible.
- Re-wear your clothes and accessorise in different ways, for different seasons. For example, layer summer dresses with jumpers in the winter
- Rework your old product into a new one. For example, cut old jeans into denim shorts.
- Swap clothes with your friends when you want something new.
- Donate to old pieces to charity shops.
- Always recycle. Download the reGAIN app, bag up your old clothes and leave at a drop off point for collection.
- Wash them less, keep temperatures low and air dry to save money on electricity and prolong the life of your garments. For example, aim to wash denim roughly every 15-20 wears.
ReGain is here to make repurposing your old clothes easy. Using ReGain gives unwanted clothes a new lease of life, plus unlocks exclusive discount off your next order.*
Follow these easy steps to use.
- Download and register on the app
- Put unwanted items in a box or bag, print your free shipping label and take to a drop off point
- Your old clothes will be donated to charity and you will receive exclusive discount codes
*Available on the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can send a maximum of 10 items. Codes will be activated after 30 minutes from drop off time.
CLOTHES.MADE SMARTER
- OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
- CLOTHES.MADE SMARTER
We aim to redefine the future of the clothes we are producing. Think design and materials right through to wastage and packaging.
All the materials we use will be more sustainably sourced.
All our polyester and cotton will be recycled or more sustainably sourced. More sustainably sourced includes organic cotton, Better Cotton and Cotton Connect. Over half of our synthetic cellulosics will come from more sustainable sources. All our leather, wool, feather and down will be sourced in line with industry best practice.
As of 2021, parts of our core denim collection is crafted from at least 85% organic cotton. Our clothing range also includes organic t-shirts, dresses and tops with a new more sustainable product production at the forefront of our designs.
Look out for READY FOR THE FUTURE products dropping down on the site that are made with more sustainable materials and processes. Discover more about the READY FOR THE FUTURE products in our guidelines.
We are developing our packaging using recycled content and constantly testing different materials. Our dispatch bags are already made with over 80% recycled material and are recyclable, plus we have paperless returns.
Building on the work we have done in our own operations, we want to work with our UK supply chain to divert all textile waste from landfill by 2025.
We are currently working with UK suppliers to recycle and upcycle off-cuts and surplus from our clothing, as well as donating over 100,000 samples a year to charities.
We are going to be looking into resale and recycling offers to combat textile waste; extending the life of our off-cuts and your products. Discover our REWEAR, REUSE, RECYCLE guidelines for easy changes to help prolong the life of your garments.
We buy our products in small quantities to help reduce waste. The percentage of stock that does not sell through therefore is low. We can sell outstanding items to third parties to be sold as seconds, give items to charities or our recycling partners.
Download the ReGAIN app for ways to pass your old clothes on for reuse or recycling.
We are members of Textiles 2030 and the Microfiber Consortium, working with others across the industry on environmental changes.
More sustainable alternatives
Recycled Fibres
Recycled fibres can be used for a number of materials including polyester, cotton and acylic. They are a more sustainable alternative as they are not using virgin fibres and are often made of materials that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown using less water, with greater care for the soil and biodiversity, and without chemical fertilisers and pesticides, creating lower environmental impact than conventional cotton. We are also investigating other more sustainable cotton options which we will announce and introduce in 2021.
Responsibly Sourced Viscose
Viscose sourced from responsibly managed forests and using responsible production practices.
Leather, Wool, Feather & Down
We are working towards sourcing our animal derived products from industry best practice. Wool and feather and down certified to high animal welfare standards and leather from tanneries that are working to reduce their environmental impact.
Surplus Textiles
Tackling textile waste is a priority and so we will be looking for ways to use textiles that could otherwise have gone to waste including vintage, surplus and rescued fabrics.
Better Cotton (BCI)
We are proud members of the Better Cotton Initiative. Better Cotton is not traceable to end products. However, BCI farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those we source. This will not appear on product until 10% of all cotton is sourced through BCI.
We aim for all our polyester and cotton to be recycled and more sustainable by 2025, and all our garments to be made using more sustainable fibres by 2030.
READY FOR THE FUTURE defines any product that consists of more than 20% of our stated ‘better materials’. This is the absolute minimum, with many products made from 50% or above.
We are starting with a lower threshold to support suppliers and drive developments in new materials.
We will increase the thresholds annually to move towards targets, with clear reporting on our progress.
We commit to providing you with accurate information about the fabrics in our clothing and the READY FOR THE FUTURE collections.
SUPPLIERS.ON BETTER TERMS
- OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
- SUPPLIERS.ON BETTER TERMS
We are committed to building and maintaining strong relationships with our suppliers to ensure that standards are followed to protect factory employees, the quality of clothing produced and that our ethics are aligned.
We rely on these relationships to provide on-trend products at great prices.
We are going to disclose our factory lists and our purchasing practices
We are setting up and donating £1 million to an independent Garment Workers Trust in Leicester. Providing any work advice and access to grants
We are going to launch a centre of excellence in Leicester, to showcase how products are produced and share best practice within the industry
We are going to map our supply chain to the raw material source for key fibres e.g. cotton fields
OUR BUSINESS.TAKING ACTION
- OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
- OUR BUSINESS.TAKING ACTION
We are taking responsibility in the way our business is run and our impact on the environment.
We are going to play our part in tackling climate change by achieving science based carbon reduction targets, providing excellent jobs, looking after our employees and above all, allowing you to make more sustainable choices.
Sustainability is an integral part of our business decision making.
We are going to make it easier for you to make sustainable choices through our READY FOR THE FUTURE clothes.
Aspire to be independently recognised as the best online retailer to work for
Achieve carbon reductions across our value chain aligned with science based targets equivalent to 52% reduction in emissions relative to our growth*
*Achieve a 4.2% absolute reduction in operational emissions each year, and 7% reduction in value chain emissions each year relative to our growth
We are going to make it easier for our customers to make sustainable choices with us. Look out for our READY FOR THE FUTURE clothes across the site.