Sustainable Future
Here at Thrills, there is one topic we hold dear to our hearts: Make quality clothing and accessories while reducing our impact on the planet and inspire an achievable path for change. As we've grown as a company since our humble beginnings in 2011, our understanding of the fashion industry and our social responsibility as a fashion label has evolved.
This is why we're taking steps to improve our day to day operations both domestically and internationally and lessen the imprint we leave. It's a long road, and while not everything is as perfect as we wished it was, we're committed to reducing the impact we leave on the environment. Let us bring you along on our journey to a Sustainable Future.
01.
Our philosophy is to "Reduce, Re-use, Recycle” wherever possible. This approach expands from working with our friends in India and China to recycle and re-use as much waste as possible (reducing our plastic use by up to 90%!) to delivering online orders in biodegradable Dirt Bags and continuously increase our use of recycled fabrics for our garments. You may have noticed that all of our garment hang tags, accessory boxes and wrappers are all made using Recycled Cardboard and we are trialling this fantastic material as clothing hangers too. This literally saves trees every day!
In line with our ethos we take care of our offices by recycling and disposing our waste in the most environmentally and responsible way that we can - this includes educating staff about best practice within their homes and office spaces, ensuring that all our waste is managed to the best of our all ability.
READ MORE ABOUT RECYCLING
02.
We are constantly on the look-out for new and progressive fabrics to help lessen our footprint. We are currently using an array of environmentally friendly fabrics such as Hemp, Ramie, Recycled Fabrics and Linen in many of our garments and are excited to move our new denim styles to Organic Cotton from February 2020 on! As a whole, we are pushing to move as many of our cotton products to Organic Cotton which vastly reduces the use of chemicals that can be carcinogenic and environmentally damaging. Our goal is to be using sustainable fabrics only by the end of 2022!
Another initiative in line with our "Reduce, Re-use, Recycle" approach is to increase our use of Recycled Fabrics wherever possible. These can be produced by regenerating the fibre from old garments or discarded offcuts or re-using waste fishing line and ropes salvaged from the ocean to create the nylon required for our swimwear. From September 2020 all of our swim wear will be made using recycled fabrics.
READ MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE FABRICATIONS
03.
The suppliers that we choose to partner with are all certified regarding working conditions and social responsibilities. We do not believe in demanding the cheapest price from our suppliers as it can affect the quality of our garments and put pressure on suppliers to outsource to a less accredited factory. Our relationships with our factories and their employees are important to us and we work hard to maintain them.
We believe that every person in our supply chain is an equal and a friend and should be treated in kind. All workers deserve a fair, living wage and high-quality working conditions. Our workmates in China and India are all highly skilled in their roles and we respect them greatly for this.
04.
In all of our Australian locations including our offices, stores and warehouse, we have opted for “Green Power” to reduce our Greenhouse Gas emissions and support renewable energy production. We encourage bike riding and carpooling to and from work to further reduce our fossil fuel usage.
To ensure that this idea continues to grow, all of our international suppliers are also committed to the reduction of energy usage. They are moving forward with solar and sustainable water use and recycling where possible. Many of our factories have received certifications for their processes aimed at reducing their environmental impact.
05.
The truth is, we all have a responsibility for the planet, and on our Sustainable Future journey one big part is that we're all about giving back to the environment through local non-profits that align with our values. When people come together and make small changes, the impact can be tremendous. This is why we're so incredibly proud to be a part of the 1% For The Planet global network. 1% for the Planet is an alliance of businesses that understand the necessity of protecting the natural environment. They understand that profit and loss are directly linked to its health and are concerned with the social and environmental impacts of industry.
Since 2019, we've pledged to collect a percentage of sales from selected sustainable focus products to give back to a local charity we are passionate about and aligns with our values. Enter Seed, a local non-profit organisation (Australia’s first and only Indigenous youth climate network) led by young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for climate justice. Seed builds the capacity of young people and communities to gain skills and confidence in telling their story and leading our climate campaigns.
With your help, we have raised an incredible $11,644 at the end of financial year 2020 and the total amount has now been donated to Seed. We couldn't have done this without you and your amazing support!
This is just the beginning and we can't wait to see what next year will bring. You can shop our '1% For The Planet collection' here to continue supporting us and 1% For The Planet.
Follow our journey on our blog via our 'Not So Trash Talk' series or stay up to date on social media @thrillsco.