5 Sustainable Changes We've Made
1. WE CHANGED ALL OUR PACKAGING TO BECOME COMPLETELY COMPOSTABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE
Our packaging was recyclable, but we decided to go the extra mile and make it compostable and biodegradable! This means it can be broken down naturally (by microorganisms like bacteria). Because it's compostable, this means it won't produce toxic residue as it breaks down!
2. WE INTRODUCED OUR PERFORM™ RANGE - MADE FROM UPCYCLED NYLON
In January 2021, we launched our Seamless Midi Brief and Swim Bikini Brief. Nylon is a type of plastic that can be toxic to our environment. Our water supplies across the world are contaminated with harmful chemicals from irresponsible waste disposal from the textile industry. Currently, the world is producing more plastic than we are recycling - only 9% of the world’s plastic has been recycled.
We have chosen to use recycled nylon from ocean waste to create our Perform collection, to ensure this pre-existing plastic is being used to its full potential, to reduce waste. Using recycled means that we use less energy to produce our Period Pants, compared to traditional manufacturing processes. And with every purchase from the Perform range, 1% of sales are donated to our charity partner, Surfers Against Sewage, a national marine conservation and campaigning charity that inspires, unites and empowers communities to take action in order to protect the ocean, beaches and wildlife. Like us, they are passionate about protecting the ocean, keeping it clean and creating positive changes for the future of our environment.
3. WE SAVED A FACTORY BY REPURPOSING FABRICS THAT WOULD HAVE GONE TO LANDFILL!
With your help, we were able to save a factory in China during the pandemic by repurposing fabric that would have gone to landfill.
We agreed to purchase the rolls of 90% polyester fabric, and after many discussions with the factory, we specifically designed a pair of period pants that could celebrate the continuance of this factory and the hundreds of jobs that were at risk and ensure that it would not go to landfill.
By repurposing the polyester and creating a unique design for these period pants, we were able to donate 2000 pairs of these repurposed-fabric period pants to ‘Days For Girls International’, a non-profit organisation, and over 800 pairs to the NHS. We made 17,000 pairs of these factory-saving period pants and it fills our heart with so much love that WUKA have been able to save mounds of fabric that would have simply gone to landfill and put hundreds of workers out of their jobs, to now being able to celebrate that and share with you all this one-time-only launch of factory-saving period pants.
4. IN-OFFICE ECO-CHOICES!
We at WUKA are passionate about making eco-friendly choices, and leading by example. Our team all have reusable water bottles with their names engraved! We have recycling facilities on site to reduce waste wherever possible and keep printing to a minimum. Our space is also filled with air-purifying house plants to keep our space clean and fresh too.
We car-hop whenever possible to reduce our carbon footprint and our toilet roll is from Who Gives A Crap - every little bit counts!
5. WE LAUNCHED OUR EVERYDAY COLLECTION AND IT IS CARBON NEUTRAL CERTIFIED!
Our Everyday Collection for non-period days is made from Tencel™ and is Carbon Neutral certified.
Tencel™ is made from responsibly-sourced wood pulp from carefully managed beech tree forests to ensure sustainability and ethical production. Learn more about Tencel™ here.
Being Carbon Neutral certified means that the production of our Everyday Collection has avoided all carbon emissions during the process of production!What's next for us on our ongoing sustainable mission?
WE ARE RESEARCHING WAYS TO BETTER RECYCLE PERIOD PANTS AND INCREASE OUR CIRCULARITY AS A COMPANY
We are looking into this! Finding a way for all our WUKA wearers to recycle their period pants. A study found each Briton throws away about 3.1kg of textiles every year, and that 1.7kg of fashion waste is landfilled yearly per person.
Out of the 3.1kg of textile waste each Briton produces every year, only 0.3kg are recycled and 0.4 kg are reused. However, 0.8kg are incinerated yearly per person and 1.7kg are disposed in landfills.
So we want to do our part and find a way for the fabric of WUKA period pants to be repurposed and recycled into something else!
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