What is a sustainable supply chain?

A sustainable supply chain is one that is designed to minimise negative environmental impacts, while also prioritising social responsibility and ethical business practices. This means selecting suppliers and materials that are responsibly sourced, reducing waste and emissions throughout the production process, and ensuring that workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage.

At our chosen factory, they provide full seed-to-shop traceability and positive impact stats for all your orders, so you can see the true impact of being part of a circular economy.

How does SGFC ensure its supply chain is sustainable?

We take sustainability seriously. We carefully select materials that are organic, recycled, or otherwise responsibly sourced, and we work closely with our suppliers to ensure that they meet our high standards for ethical and environmental practices. We also use renewable energy to power our factories, who are constantly looking for ways to reduce waste and emissions throughout our supply chain.

Why choose organic cotton?

For our factory, a sustainable supply chain starts with organic farming. Growing cotton organically has many benefits for farmers, wildlife, and surrounding ecosystems. To avoid using toxic pesticides and fertilisers we use natural methods such as co-planting and insect traps, along with a special ingredient - cow poo - to grow our cotton. This approach encourages biodiversity and results in a softer fabric. The land is not overworked, leaving the soil fertile for longer.

We understand that organic cotton is a thirsty crop, so the factory grow it in the North of India where monsoon rain provides the water needed for farming. By using these natural methods, fewer inputs are required, making sure the land and the environment are cared for.

Environmentally friendly?

The factory work hard to ensure that our products are made with the environment in mind. We use safe, non-toxic, water-based inks for our printing process, and our products are certified by OEKO-TEX to be free of harmful chemicals. By using the latest technology to print our products in real time, we only create what customers need when they need it.

To further reduce our environmental impact, we've implemented a circular supply chain that allows us to repurpose our products when they're worn out, keeping them in circulation and out of landfill. This integrated and digital supply chain has enabled us to create efficiencies, reinvesting the cost savings in our facilities, working conditions, and team. Our factories on the Isle of Wight, India, and Europe are clean, light, and positive - just as you'd expect from a modern manufacturer.

Water Usage?

Wastewater from dye houses is having a major effect on the aquatic environment and is one of the biggest sources of pollution in the fashion industry. When our products are dyed, we capture the water, clean it, and then recirculate it using a process of reverse osmosis and distillation. Salt is added back in so that the dye can adhere, and the leftover mulch is dried out and used for road markings.

We are able to recover and reuse about 95% of the water. Once it has been cleaned, it is ready to be used again in the next batch. Thanks to this closed loop system, we are able to ensure that the water coming out of the filters is crystal clear and clean enough to drink.

Renewable energy?

Clean power generation is a vital tool in the UK's strategy to reach net zero by 2050 and is the most viable solution to preventing climate change. At Sad Girl Food Cafe, we're dedicated to using renewable energy sources throughout our circular supply chain. In India, the factory we use is powered by two wind farms and a 150kw PV array. Renewable energy is cost-effective and dependable, and we are committed to ensuring its use in all our operations.

Additionally, their machines are equipped with machine-to-machine communications technology which allows us to turn our equipment on and off when necessary, balancing our demand with our on-site generation.

What is ‘Made to be remade’?

With the current linear economy, clothes are worn less than 10 times before being thrown away, and then all the materials, energy, and time that went into making them are wasted. At the factory, they have built the first circular economy in fashion where clothing is produced using quality, natural materials, with good product design to extend the life of clothes. When they are no longer wearable, each is designed to be sent back to the manufacturer and the material reprocessed, respun and made into new products. We call this process ‘Remill’.

All our products contain a QR code on the care label which, when scanned generates a Freepost code (if you're in the UK) to send the item back. Together, we can keep materials flowing in a loop and end waste in the fashion industry.