ETHICS
& SUSTAINABILITY
Minimising our impact
Embracing Eco-Conscious ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE Business Practices
SLOW FASHION MOVEMENT | ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING | CARBON NEUTRAL DELIVERY
Our team at Soulty Tribe Threads takes sustainability seriously and works hard to minimise our impact on the environment. From the design stage to when we place our products in your hands, we aim to use natural, sustainable materials where possible, and work to improve our processes where necessary. As we continue to learn and grow, we will be transparent with our progress and keep you updated on our ongoing efforts. Thank you for supporting us as we work towards a more sustainable future!
Slow Fashion Movement
As a brand, we embrace the ethos of the slow fashion movement with its promise to provide original, unique, premium quality products which will last for many years to come. This movement focuses on ethical manufacturing and reducing environmental impact. Products are made largely by hand, in a process that takes not only time but quality craftsmanship to produce.
Characteristics of this responsible and sustainable movement are reflected in our pieces and collections in so much as they are:
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made from high-quality fabrics, with the majority being sustainable materials including linen and cotton. STT is also looking into the upcycling of bed sheets for future projects.
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timeless, made for longevity, meticulously made to the highest quality ensuring they will last well into the future, able to be treasured as an heirloom and handed down for many years to come.
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ethically designed and created from materials that, where possible, are sourced locally within Australia. Our products are manufactured by our small team, in-house, here on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and sold directly to our customers in person from our workroom and online.
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authentically designed and created from our heart and soul, using traditional craftsmanship skills to produce what we consider to be a piece of art. A piece, we hope will invoke a level of emotional value to the owner beyond its functionality or appearance.
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produced in small batches that are released on occasion throughout the year. Each project is either a one-off or limited-edition piece or collection where only 2 - 3 will ever be produced. We focus on bespoke design, offer a made-to-order service and are intentional in reducing unnecessary production.
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designed in such as way as to leave little to no waste with the textiles we use. We provide fabric remnants to be put aside for design reference, future repairs or refurbishment if needed.
Sustainable Business Practices
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Using energy more efficiently - our workroom is blessed with amazing natural light but when needed we use energy-efficient bulbs and when not in use, machinery and tools are switched off.
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Conserving water - prior to cutting, our fabrics are washed in a front loader machine, using eco-friendly detergents.
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We reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible in our workroom -
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We use cloud-based systems which allow us to utilise paperless record keeping.
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Correspondence is carried out electronically with invoices and orders being emailed as opposed to printed.
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Printing is kept to a minimum and if required, the paper is reused for sketching and notes.
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Paper, cardboard and plastics are recycled.
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Travelling less - as our workroom is based in our home, our travel is very limited as this is where we do our thing.
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Near sourcing - we utilise vendors close to our location for our supplies whenever possible, reducing our impact and supporting local businesses at the same time.
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Shipping goods more efficiently - we choose courier companies who have implemented practices to minimise their environmental footprint.
Eco-Conscious Materials
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We primarily use natural plant-based fibre textiles, due to their being softer on the skin, breathable, eco friendly and durable. We limit the use of man-made textiles.
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Where possible we source our fabrics locally within Australia, though on occasion we import from Europe from other small business suppliers whose fabrics are source-verified and produced according to adequate standards confirmed by the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certificate and GOTS certificate.
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Our hand-crafted blankets are made from either 100% pure soft machine washable wool or 100% pure cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills, Victoria. The wool produced is Australian grown wool from the NSW Highlands region.
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At the customer's request, specific textiles, including certified organic fabrics, can be sourced for their bespoke project.
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We use Rasant Core-Spun thread in our production due to its quality, strength and resilience. It is certified according to the Oeko–tex Standard 100 for textiles and fabrics certifying it free of harmful chemicals and safe for human use.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
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We choose recyclable kraft mailing boxes, sustainably sourced, made with recycled materials, and FSC certified.
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Our shipping labels are compostable.
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Boxes are taped together with gummed water-activated paper tape in natural kraft (produced with FSC certified paper, using soy-based ink and vegetable adhesive made from potato starch). This paper tape is compostable, recyclable, and a more sustainable option than petroleum-based plastic (PP/PVC) tape.
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Compostable zero waste inner bags are used to protect your order during shipping.
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A hemp cord is used to attach hang tags/care labels to orders. Hemp is a highly sustainable, low-impact crop.
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Each STT label is backed with a layer of 100% flax linen, a sustainable material that uses considerably fewer resources than cotton or polyester (such as water, energy, pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers).
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Product care labels on are made from recycled satin.
Carbon Neutral Delivery
We choose courier companies whose values align with our own and who have implemented practices to minimise their footprint on the environment.
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Sendle - Proudly claims to be Australia's first 100% carbon neutral delivery service. For every tonne of carbon dioxide released into the air whilst delivering parcels, they cancel it out by supporting projects that combat climate change (information taken from Sendle's website).
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Aramex - Their environment statement is: Aramex is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint and reducing its Greenhouse Gas emissions through a number of different investments and projects, including renewable energy, green building, alternative fuels and operational efficiency (quote taken from Aramex's website).
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AusPost - States Australia Post is committed to carbon-neutral parcel delivery, which is why we introduced our Climate Active certified Carbon Neutral Deliveries program. We are undertaking a comprehensive range of initiatives, including reducing our carbon footprint by increasing our electric delivery vehicle fleet, investing in renewable energy sources, and reducing, reusing and recycling packaging and waste (information taken from AusPost's website).
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DHL Express - Offers a Climate Neutral Shipping service called GoGreen, an initiative, with which we have chosen to be a part, whereby they offer a range of green products to help minimise the environmental impact of a business’ logistics.