We want to get better
And this is how we're doing it
🌱 Sustainability is a process...
... probably you know that already. When we first started to be more aware about sustainability and how to get there, we were overwhelmed. There is so much to do and so many things need to be improved in our daily lives to get more sustainable. So if you're struggling or feeling overwhelmed and exhausted - we've been there, it's ok. We are all in this together and we can actually change the world. So let's do it!
💚 Our general philosophy
We're making many small steps that together will have a lot of positive impact. In terms of production Honest Basics actually is quite high in the sustainability ranking - we even got the GOTS-certification, which is a very big deal for us. But we won't stop here! This year and the coming years, we want to fine-tune and slowly improve our approach more and more. But how?
This is what we already did in 2021
🦸🏽♂️ Quality Manager in India appointed
We are so glad that Ajay, our talented quality manager, joined the team! Our dedicated quality manager in India has over 25 (!) years of experience in the fashion industry. He makes sure only high quality products, that are ethically made, are shipped to us. We think that better presence in the factory means:
- better communication and smoother production.
- more intensive checks if our sustainability standards are met
- work on structurally improving our quality levels - which will help to be able to wear the products longer
📦 Switch to paper-tape
Our dear Christopher designed our very own beautiful paper-tape! Why we switched to paper-tape? It makes our packaging again plastic-free (as it was in the beginning), and it just looks a loooot better.
For the paper-tape we work with a company that produces and sells sustainable packaging. For now we are quite happy about working with them and we have high hopes that you guys will love this tape as much as we do.
We decided to go with this specific company, because they have the same values as we do and really care about sustainability. They work with non-toxic materials and the paint on the tape is a non-toxic water based color. Sounds good - looks good, right?
🌍 QR-codes on our products
Super excited about this one! We love the "I made your clothes" movement and want to be a part of it in our own Honest Basics way. So we decided to print QR-codes on all our packaging wrappers.
By scanning the code you will get to a page where you can find out all about the product. We want to be more transparent and want you to be a part of our processes.
Of course it takes some time to implement this new cool feature. We are working hard to include the QR-code in our future production rounds so you will be able to enjoy it probably from September on. Are you excited to find out more? Stay in touch!
🐮 New vegan certification
It means all our products are vegan. No animal products, such as wool, leather or silk, are part of our products. And also our factories don't use any animal products during production.
We care about animal welfare. And we know you do too. This way you can shop with us without hesitation. Animals are friends - not fashion!
🗨️ Communication - always the key
We think that communication is one of the main keys to a successful brand - whether it is sustainable or not. Communicating with love and respect helps us to grow as a team. We also schedule calls with our production companies in India on a regular basis. This way we can improve our working flows, try out new materials and products and our way of working together hand in hand - even whilst being on different continents. For us it is super inspiring to learn from our partner factories and to keep growing together.
Further targets for 2021
🧵 Best care for your products
We are a fashion company, of course we want to sell clothes. But do we want to "over-sell"? No! We want to make sustainable fashion available for everybody. We want to bring value into your lives by fashion that is not only sustainable, but that can be worn for years - maybe even decades!
So we want to build up a little knowledge universe of how you can actually take very good care of your Honest Products so they bring value to you for a long time. Let's not forget: Basics are perfect in every situation.
But what happens, when clothes get too old, gets little holes or a ugly stain is making it almost impossible to wear without looking sloppy? We've got your back! Don't toss your clothes out just yet (no matter if Honest Basics or other). Stay tuned for more!
🧐 Full transparency on the website
This point actually links to our QR-Code project. But still transparency is a very important topic for us. We want to show you directly where your clothes are made. We have nothing to hide. Why? Because we are Honest Basics! Duh ;)...
Also we are planning to create a website that is easier for everyone to work with, has more information - for example about sizes and fitting, how to measure, but also about where the product is from, what makes it special etc. Check our website every now and then and you will see changes little by little :).
🌿 Become certified climate neutral
Have you heard about "cradle to gate"? Well, this is a organization that actually helps you figure out how environmentally friendly you are as a company. We want to be sustainable in all ways. So becoming climate neutral is an important next step for us.
This is also why:
- We all work from home - no need for a big office or worry about transportation to get to work.
- We don't use planes to get our products from India to Germany. Of course, ships also produce CO², but it's quite less.
♻️ Launch first products on recycled fabrics
This is something we've been thinking about A LOT together. Do we want to use recycled polyester and recycled cotton? Isn't polyester bad? Is using recycled polyester better than new organic cotton?
To be honest, we are still figuring it out. But we want to be a lot more circular. So in our consideration, recycled polyester has already been through a life cycle. Isn't it better to use a material that is already in our environment, instead of using something new?
Also another thing: the organic cotton prices are getting higher and higher. So producing sustainable fashion with newly harvested organic cotton will get more expensive. We still want to be a company that makes sustainability available for everyone.
With rising prices we would also have to make our basics more expensive. Do we want that? Mhhh actually no. This is why we need to find different options that work for us. You have a great idea? Let us know 🤍!
So yes - we are working on a lot of stuff that is super exciting and helps us to get better step by step. Of course we are still not perfect - but who really is ;)? You have great ideas that we didn't think about? Let us know! Thank you for helping us get better.
Questions or compliments?
Greetings from Berlin!
-x- Team Honest Basics
