Sustainably Driven - sustainable, premium coastal clothing since 2009

We are aware that the fashion industry as a whole is one of the biggest polluters in the world. Something we are not proud of. Sustainability and responsible production of fashion are central to our mission. Therefore, we are committed to ensure where possible during our sourcing methods, we are using fabrics and materials which are recycled and as sustainable as possible.

It's our mission to produce responsible and sustainable leisure clothing, we also source our textiles from suppliers who are independently certified as responsible and ethical employers.

Understandably, these measures increase the production and supply cost of our products. However, we firmly believe that our sustainability values will help to create a brighter future for our planet and also, the individual workers within the fashion industry supply chain that help make our products.

Recycled polyester board shorts, bikini's and rash vests!

As surfers and avid outdoors lovers- we are innately aware of the pristine beauty of our ocean environments, however humankind’s reliance on plastic is becoming a catastrophic problem and thus we need to stop our consumption of single use plastic in particular and refrain, reduce and reuse such materials.

All of our board shorts, bikini's, rash vests and polar fleece items are made from 100% recycled polyester, something we are very proud of. Each board short contains 8 post-consumer plastic bottles which would normally find its way into landfill or into our ocean environments. Unlike polyester, recycled polyester uses PET as the raw material. This is the same clear material that is used in plastic water and soft drink bottles etc.

This process of converting PET into recycled polyester requires 35-53% less energy than virgin polyester. Using more recycled polyester reduces our reliance on petroleum and using such PET plastic from drink bottles reduces landfill and ocean waste which means less soil contamination, air and water pollution.

 

Sustainable Cotton

Traceable GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) licensed organic cotton is used in some of our products. Organic cotton is grown without toxic chemicals, using growing systems that replenish and maintain soil fertility while using less water. The main benefit of an organic cotton product is that crops aren’t treated with pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or genetic modifications. These toxins are harmful for farmers and workers, us as consumers, and entire wildlife eco-systems.

Ultimately, organic cotton is the most sustainable product and therefore our preferred material. We hope one day all of our cotton products are made using organic production processes. However, we recognise that to increase demand we need to educate our customers and the general public about the benefits of organic cotton.

Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a global development program, which our cotton suppliers joined in 2019. The BCI community is committed to making cotton production better for the environment it grows in, better for the people who grow it and better for the future of the industry. Through joining the community, we will be contributing to the training of farmers and encouraging the worldwide shift to more sustainable cotton production.

 

 

Ethical production practices

Producing sustainable surf clothing isn’t all about materials, it also includes the sourcing of our fabrics and materials from suppliers who provide ethical and responsible conditions of their workers.

Our manufacturers have been part of the Child Labor Free initiative the wider reaching Amfori BSCI initiative, which incorporates all of our Code of Conduct including Environmental Sustainability since 2016.

Through joining this program, we will be in a better position to support our suppliers with tried and tested training programs and we will have access to word class standards and tools to improve our own processes of supply chain mapping, monitoring, and remediation.

As a relatively small brand, it is at times hard to apply leverage with suppliers. Through joining this organisation we should be able to learn from and communicate with global like-minded brands that are able to apply both more leverage as well as resources into transforming the industry.
 

Ethical garment and fabric suppliers

Traceability of our supply chain is a core expectation and absolutely necessary if we are to be confident there is no exploitation of the people who are making our clothes and the environment it is made in. For this reason, our strategy has always been to keep a narrow supply base and to develop long-term relationships with suppliers who hold the same values as ourselves.

• 100% of our garment factories have been visited and audited.
• 100% traceability of our fabrics and our yarns. The majority of our garment suppliers make their own fabrics, which gives us greater transparency.