A lot of people throw around the word “sustainable,” so we think it’s important to be super straight forward in exactly how we use it. Here at Big Wild Thought it’s about making better choices like sourcing more sustainable materials and finding ways to use less water which means securing a better future for our wildlife. Sustainability comes in a lot of different forms, so we thought we'd show you a little insight into your clothing's journey...
WHAT FABRICS DO YOU USE?
the beginning..
Organic Cotton is cotton that is natural, GMO-free fibre which is grown without the use of any pesticides or fertilisers. This encourages crop rotation which helps keep the soil healthy and protects the farmers and their families from any hazardous or toxic chemicals getting into the water. Organic Cotton also uses less water in the production process and any water which goes back into the cycle is not contaminated. Any waste from our production process is also recycled into animal feed. Our chain of production is GOTS certified from farm to factory!
Recycled Polyester is made entirely from used plastic bottles. The Recycled Polyester we use is certified by the Global Recycled Standard. We believe in reusing where possible, which gives new life to old materials that aren’t biodegradable and would otherwise go to waste or into our oceans.
ARE THE FACTORY WORKERS TREATED WELL?
our amazing makers...
Our products are manufactured in a Bangladesh factory who are GOTS-certified and audited by the Fair Wear foundation. This means that all of the workers have rights which follow the eight fundamental ILO conventions. See our makers rights...
- There is a strict no child labour policy in place. No workers in the factory are under the age of 16 and anyone under the age of 18 will not perform tasks which could harm them.
- No discrimination is tolerated in any circumstances.
- There is no forced labour.
- All of the workers in the factory have the right to join a trade union and bargain collectively.
- Working hours comply with the law and no employee will work more than 48 hours a week unless they opt to on an occasional basis.
- Any over time is voluntary and compensated fairly.
- All of the workers get paid above the average wage and are sufficient to meet the income needs of the workers and their family.
- All of the workers work in a safe and hygienic environment. Any hazards are paid attention to and avoided where possible.
HOW SUSTAINABLE IS YOUR PACKAGING?
packed with love...
When the products arrive to us from the factory they are packaged in biodegradable, recycled plastic. We then move onto embroidering them, with made to order. For this we use thread which is made of sustainably sourced viscose, which is also GOTS-certified.
We then package our products to send out to you! Each item has a swing tag made from recycled card and printed with eco-inks which is then attached with cotton twine. The animal information cards are also made from recycled card and printed with environmentally friendly inks. We use paper packaging which is 100% biodegradable and recyclable and then send them on their way to your front door!
DO ANY OF YOUR PRODUCTS END UP IN LANDFILL?
reduce, reuse, recycle...
As all our products are embroidered to order we don't hold any old stock, which helps minimises waste. Any products that cannot be resold will be made into dust cloths to used in our office or clothing which is slightly marked or damaged goes onto Depop (make sure to go and have a look, you could grab a bargain). We take anything which doesn’t fall into either of these categories to our local recycling centre where waste is turned into energy.
more to come!
We continue to evolve and expand our collections, always being mindful to make even the tiniest of tweaks to improve everything we do. We are continuing to make sure our brand is the most ethical and sustainable it can be, one step at a time...
