Our Approach to Sustainability

Sustainability means different things to different people. 

To us, it means taking a long-term view of how our products, choices and actions affect the environment and future generations. It is about health and safety, abundance and possibility. It is about replacing disposable products with reusable ones; creating a cleaner world for generations to come.

There’s always room for improvement and that is a central part of our mission: to perpetually seek to do better; to find ever more earth-friendly alternatives. In 2013 we’re committed to analyzing the complete life cycle environmental impact of our products, and pushing further improvements from there. In the meantime, our commitment to the environment and environmental product design includes the following:


Organic Materials

In our attempt to design greener products, our goal is to eliminate environmentally harmful substances from them. We use organic cotton because it is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or other chemical fertilizers. Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply.

The cotton used in all of our products is certified to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) by an international governing body, Control Union Certifications b.v. 

Our products are screen printed with low-impact fabric dyes that are independently tested to be free of AZO, heavy metals and formaldehyde.

 
Health & Safety

We regularly perform extensive health, safety and quality testing on all of our products. Our products are independently certified to be free of BPA, phthalates and lead, and comply with or exceed the most stringent safely standards in Canada and the U.S.


Reusables

Reusable lunch, snack & sandwich bags reduce waste because they can be used over and over again.

On average, a school-aged child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. Reusable snack & sandwich bags are a waste-free alternative to disposable paper & plastic bags, and save landfill space, natural resources and money.

 
Reduced, Recycled & Recyclable Packaging

Over-packaging is a huge problem. According to the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, one-third of American garbage is packaging materials. 

We are committed to low-impact, minimal packaging. Our individual products are sold with a recycled paper hangtag only (tags are made with 100% post consumer recycled fiber, using 100% renewable electricity and are manufactured carbon neutral). Not only is minimal packaging better for the environment, but it also costs less and saves you money.

We use only recycled and/or FSC certified paper in our catalogues and other printed materials.

Giving Back

We donate to non-profit environmental organizations, as well as organizations that empower women and girls worldwide. In 2012 we donated to, amongst others, the World Wildlife Fund, a leading conservation organization, Ecojustice, an organization that defends our rights to a healthy environment before the courts, Because I am a Girl, defending girls' rights as human rights, and The Girl Effect, a movement aimed at leveraging the unique potential of adolescent girls to end poverty.

We also support other companies that follow environmentally and socially sustainable practices. 
 

 
 




HIGHLIGHTS


✪ The cotton used in all of our products is certified to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) by an international governing body, Control Union Certifications b.v.

✪  Our products are screen printed with low-impact fabric dyes that are independently tested to be free of AZO, heavy metals and formaldehyde.

✪ We regularly perform extensive health, safety and quality testing on all of our products. Our products are independently certified to be free of BPA, phthalates and lead, and comply with or exceed the most stringent safely standards in Canada and the U.S.

✪  Reusable snack & sandwich bags are a waste-free alternatively to disposable paper & plastic bags, and save landfill space, natural resources and money.

✪ We are committed to low-impact, minimal packaging. Our individual products are sold with a 100% post consumer recycled paper hangtag only. 

✪ We use only recycled and/or FSC certified paper in our catalogues and other printed materials.

✪ We donate to non-profit environmental organizations, as well as organizations that empower women and girls worldwide.