Sustainability

Our commitment to sustainability

Sustainability is an important aspect of our business practices. We will always strive to act ethically, transparently and responsibly in order to minimise our impact on the environment. We want you to feel confident that the products you buy from us are made with both the planet and people in mind.

What you need to know about organic cotton:

• Reduces environmental footprint: Toxic chemicals are not used in the process of growing organic cotton; its production sustains the health of soils, has less impact on the air and results in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reduced water and energy consumption: Organic cotton uses 88% less water and 62% less energy compared to conventional cotton. 80% of organic cotton is grown by natural rain, reducing the pressure on local water sources. To put this into perspective, it takes 2,700 litres of water to make one t-shirt using traditional cotton farming methods!
• Safer working environment: Farmers who grow organic cotton don’t expose themselves and their families to toxic chemicals. Up to 77 million conventional cotton workers suffer poisoning from pesticides each year.
• Softer on the skin: Organic cotton is super soft on the skin compared to conventional cotton, due to longer fibres which don’t get weakened in the production process. This not only results in a softer material for your little one’s skin, but also means it is much more durable.

The quality of our organic cotton is assured by the independent inspection body GOTS. GOTS – The Global Organic Textile Standard – is the leading worldwide textile processing standard for organic fibres, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. To be certified, all elements in our supply chain – from the cotton mills who make our fabric to the stitching factory who finish our garments – must meet strict environmental and ethical criteria, reviewed annually. Working with a GOTS-certified supply chain also means that every person involved in the production of our clothes, from the farmers to the factory workers, receives a fair wage.

Who makes our clothes?

We have a close working relationship with our suppliers who have strict ethical and sustainable practices in place. The factory we work with is certified by SEDEX (the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange), which confirms that the factory has adequate labour standards, strict health and safety processes and ensures the wellbeing of the workers whilst maintaining business ethics. Our factory is globally accepted as following fair working standards to manufacture ethical clothes.

Additional sustainability measures

• Fair wages: When it comes to sustainability, paying people at a fair living wage is non-negotiable. Using GOTS-certified organic cotton ensures better conditions for our farmers and guarantees they receive a fair wage.
• Planet-friendly practices: Our factory aims to minimise its carbon footprint by recycling wastewater, oils and used lights. They use natural gas instead of coal and diesel-generated electricity to power boilers and dryers. They optimise all electricals through the use of power factors to reduce 99% of electricity waste. Going forwards they aim to solarise most of their power consumption to become a self-sustaining manufacturing unit.
• Slow fashion: We have intentionally designed our collection to be long-lasting, timeless and trans-seasonal. Our hope is that the items you purchase from Wilde Iris will be worn throughout the year and throughout the generations, passing down between siblings, cousins and friends.

As a parent, the need to protect your child is primal, but also overwhelming and exhausting. We hope that by making these decisions on your behalf you can be confident in choosing Wilde Iris for both your precious children and our precious planet.