Let's talk about
sustainability
We are aware of the impact that our industry can have on the environment, and the responsibility that we all share to operate in a sustainable way. We are working hard internally to make changes wherever possible to reduce our environmental footprint, and the impact our production has on the lives of others. As a result, we have highlighted priority areas where we can make the biggest difference - a starting point on our journey of sustainability.
In our assessment, production and waste are the areas where we can make a meaningful difference. We will begin our journey by looking at how we can improve our offering of the most eco-friendly fabrics as well as reducing any unnecessary waste. Team work makes the dream work, so we want to involve our sisterhood in part of this journey by making information readily available and implementing an initiative to tackle wardrobe waste. Vast amounts of unwanted clothing are thrown away each year, most of which end up in landfills instead of reaching communities that would benefit from donations. This is something we are keen to address but need a little help from our sisters!
Whilst we are making changes to address these issues, this is not something that we are approaching as a tick box exercise, nor are we willing to merely latch onto current buzzwords. We are tackling this one step at a time by carefully investigating, never settling, always improving and always remaining open and honest about our progress. It is a process that we will continue to develop, and we are excited to include our sisterhood on this journey.
Discover more about where our journey starts below...
"Perfect is never good enough"
Our mantra is that perfect is never good enough. We are constantly reviewing our processes and raising the bar higher so that we can evolve and be the best that we can be. Priority areas that we will continue to develop include reducing waste and the use of plastic, using sustainable fabrics and conducting thorough chemical testing.
Waste not want not
Let’s talk waste; the unglamorous deposit of a glamorous industry. But waste is a subjective definition. After all, one man’s waste is another man’s gold, and we strongly believe that every pre-loved piece can find a happy new home. That’s why we are going to be participating in an exciting recycling scheme, that aims to give a practical solution to your wardrobe clear-outs!
Whilst preloved clothing is one issue, there’s also an industry-wide issue of overproduction and the disposal of unsold stock. With trends evolving ever faster, most of the industry struggles with effectively forecasting customer demand which often results in brands overproducing. However, our approach is unique. Since the beginning, we have developed processes that allow us to produce our garments more quickly and efficiently than most, so that we can perfectly match production and demand. From this approach, we continue to keep our overstock waste as 0. This is very uncommon in the industry and an achievement that we are immensely proud of.
The right chemistry
We want our garments to be beautiful on the outside and gentle on the inside, so we vigorously test them to make sure they have the right chemistry. We maintain a list of restricted substances which we regularly update to make sure that the components of the fabrics we use are kind both on the body and to the environment.
A material world
We use a range of materials in our collections including Polyester, Viscose and Cotton. We are conscious that the environmental impact of these materials is higher than alternatives, which is why our design team is working to increase the use of more eco-friendly options in our garments such as Lyocell and Linen.
Whilst we want to increase the mix of eco-friendly alternatives, we don’t want to settle for the lesser of two evils. Therefore, we are keen to research all alternatives thoroughly before use to ensure that they meet the highest of sustainability standards.
The Plastic problem
We recognise that plastic pollution is a huge problem effecting our planet. Across the business we try to limit the use of plastic and are constantly reviewing our processes to see where this can be reduced. We are also looking at ways to improve our packaging to further reduce waste.
"Kindness is the key to success"
In a world where technology and automation are fast replacing production tasks performed by humans, fashion is still largely handmade. People are at the centre of our processes, from muses that inspire initial designs to the skilful hands that make them, and our loyal sisterhood who choose to wear them. It is therefore important to us that all involved in the process are taken care of and treated with kindness and respect.
Our Production Facilities
We regularly visit the factories that produce our collections in China and conduct internal audits. We want to ensure that the skilled people making our clothing are working under good conditions. Therefore, this audit focuses on 9 different areas: child labour, forced labour, health and safety, freedom of association, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours compensation and environmental protection.
Our Sisterhood
Our customers are at the heart of everything that we do; they inspire us and drive our world forward. We therefore want to remain open and honest about everything we do and create high quality designs that are produced conscientiously, without unnecessarily harming the environment.
Our Employees
Our employees make the Sister Jane world go round. We treat all of our employees in a respectful and fair way, offering benefits and collaborative working conditions that are safe and healthy. We also promote diversity and use hiring practices that are fair, responsible and non-discriminatory for our employees and suppliers.
Animal Kindness
We are committed to ensuring that our designs avoid all materials derived from processes that are cruel to animals. For this reason, we choose not to use any fur or feathers in our designs and also keep the use of leather and wool to a minimum.
"A problem shared is a problem halved"
Sister Jane is born out of sisterhood, and we believe that good sisters should give good advice. That’s why we are implementing initiatives and making resources available to help our sisterhood make more informed, sustainable decisions.
Offering a helping hand
Our Sister Jane pieces are built to last and we want our customers to cherish each design for as long as possible. But we realise that there is only so much space in someone’s wardrobe, and the purchase of one garment may lead to the discarding of another. Whilst we encourage the passing of any pre-loved pieces along to friends or family, we understand that in some cases this may not be feasible or practical. We will therefore be introducing a new recycling initiative to help very soon – watch this space!
Knowledge is power
Our efforts are ongoing and we want to include our sisterhood in this exciting journey!
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to learn more about ethics and sustainability at Sister Jane, please get in touch: hello@sisterjane.com
#SJSisterhood