Giving Back to the Planet + the People

For the Planet: Our Sustainability Journey

As creators and earth-lovers, we want to curate a business with practices we’re proud of and be transparent about our journey towards sustainability. Here are some of the things we’re doing.

Every Product Purchased Plants 1 Tree

We’re proud to be partnered with One Tree Planted, a non-profit dedicated to reforestation efforts. As simple as it sounds, the act of planting one tree makes a tremendous impact. A tree is an amazing feat of biological genius and interdependence between species. Its intricate root system acts like a filter and an anchor, removing pollutants from water and preventing dangerous landslides. Their leaves purify our air, absorbing harmful pollutants and releasing clean oxygen for us to breathe. Food producing trees provide nourishment for both humans and animals alike. Sustainable tree farming and shade cropping provides means for farmers to sustain themselves without resorting to harmful farming practices. Humans aside, a single tree can be home to hundreds of species, insects, fungi, moss, mammals, and plants, all living in a biodiverse ecosystem with an abundance of complex interdependent relationships.

Compostable Packaging

Our mailers are 100% compostable, breaking down into carbon dioxide, water and organic fertilizer in 90-180 days. Additionally, each order comes with a business card embedded with wildflower seeds. You can plant it in the ground and wildflowers will sprout!

Recycled Pieces

We love giving new life to second-hand clothes, keeping material in use for longer and getting creative with what’s already in circulation. Clothes have a history and thrifting a beloved piece is like finding treasure.

Our Suppliers

We strongly believe in using brands we believe in to use as our canvases. All of our shirts are made by Royal Apparel or Bella + Canvas.

At Royal Apparel, all garments are made right here in the USA. Shirts are cut, sewn, picked & shipped by employees making a livable wage, in safe & comfortable working conditions. They use low impact dyes that require less water.

All of the shirts we purchase from them are 100% organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown without harmful chemicals, leaving the soil, air and water free from contaminates that cause harm. Organic cotton produces around 46% less CO2 compared to conventional cotton. It also uses far less water to grow since organic cotton growers typically utilize rain far more than irrigation. On top of all that, organic cotton growers use beneficial insects to control unwanted pests instead of relying on harmful chemicals, thus encouraging biodiversity.

Bella + Canvas uses water saving technology, solar energy, and produces virtually zero waste. They are WRAP Certified (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production), which means that they treat every one of their employees with dignity and respect, and are constantly aware of their environmental impact. A tough accreditation to receive, WRAP certifies its suppliers based on twelve principles which range from health and safety to environment to the prohibition of forced labor. They have received a platinum certification, the highest level possible.

Upcycling

We love that a forgotten or damaged fabric can be creatively transformed into something entirely new. Anna created the jacket pictured above out of a beautiful woven rug that had a hole in it. After a good washing, the good part of the rug was cut out and sewed onto the back of a denim jacket. What was once trash can now be treasure.

We save every bit of scrap fabric (seriously, we have a lot) and put them to new artistic or functional uses. Every time you order a cropped t-shirt from us, you can rest easy knowing the bottom part of your shirt will live on in new ways ;) (scrunchies, tank tops, tapestries, etc.)

100% Cotton Products

Unlike blended products, 100% materials can be recycled into new products. All of our t-shirts and canvas bags are made of 100% cotton and can be recycled once their time in your closet is up. 100% cotton also means no polyester (aka plastic) microfibers being released in the washing machine and eventually entering the water cycle.

For the People

While our focus has historically been on achieving sustainability and supporting environmental causes, we’re learning more and more about how this is systemically tied up in race, accessibility, and environmental justice. In addition to planting one tree for every item sold, we will be donating 5% of our sales each quarter to organizations that are actively combating structural inequalities present in both our industry and society.

Where we've donated

We donated to GRID Alternatives, a non-profit that makes renewable energy technology and job training accessible for low income communities. Free, clean electricity from the sun should be available to everyone. GRID installs the systems using a “barn raising” model that provides volunteers and trainees hands on experience which they can then use to find jobs in the growing solar industry. Since 2008, the San Diego GRID division has installed 800 free solar systems for families in need, collectively saving them more than $25 million in estimated lifetime energy costs.

We've donated to the Brennan Center for Justice, a non partisan law and policy institute that works to protect fundamental freedoms. Their work includes providing information to voters who may be victims of voter registration purges, ensuring funding to make sure polling locations are clean and safe, reforming the role that money plays in politics, and providing information on how to vote safely and effectively. Read our blog post to learn more.