If you follow our blog, then you know we are passionate about leaving the world an even better place than we found it. That can strike a difficult balance in an industry that hasn’t been the most environmentally-friendly historically. However, in today’s age of innovation, we are working hard to create a culture that is uncompromising in our sustainability principles. Just what are the principles we source by? How do we find the best, highest-quality materials, while staying true to our sustainability values? Keep reading to find out!
Embedded in Our Culture
First things first: sustainability and innovation are both at the core of our culture. Sunham creates products, services, and processes that meet the needs of the current generation, without compromising the needs of future generations. Everything we do is centered on providing the world with more sustainable options. So, as we make decisions across any facet of our business – including sourcing – we have sustainability in mind and we make sure each step of any process aligns with our true values.
Commitment to Responsible Development
What are some of the specific actions that we can take to meet our goal of offering the world more sustainable options? We start with responsible development and innovation while we continuously search for ways to increase production, capacity, and community support – all while reducing our environmental impact. A big part of that effort is choosing recycled or natural fabrics for our products.
Whenever possible, we choose the following recycled materials:
- Recycled polyester – Repurposes PET plastics from bottles to make yarns, diverting plastic waste from ending up in landfills or the ocean.
- Ethicot – Uses green energy to repurpose unusable factory waste scraps into usable material, reducing the amount of waste produced.
- Organic flannel – Made of 100% pre-consumer recycled factory waste, repurposing material that otherwise would be wasted.
- Chambray texture – Uses recycled materials to create the textured look that imitates the fibers of chambray.
We also use naturally derived fabrics like the following:
- Organic cotton – Produced without pesticides and completely biodegradable.
- Linen – Derived from the flax plant and is a timeless, fashionable, and comfortable fiber. This material is 100% natural and easily biodegradable.
- Bamboo charcoal – Renewable and more dense and mineral-rich than other forms of charcoal, bamboo has natural antimicrobial properties, making it stay fresh for longer.
- Neo cotton – Uses a rapid and efficient dye process to color natural cotton while using less salt, alkali, and water.
Improvements to Processes
In addition to working with suppliers and partners who leverage the recycled or naturally derived fabrics we mentioned, we’ve made some internal changes in recent years. We have taken a close look at our own processes that may affect the long-term social and environmental climate. For example, energy efficiency is a key issue facing the globe, and we are proactive in our efforts to limit energy consumption and to be more efficient – and we look for the same in our business partners and vendors. Specifically, we use some of these innovative processes:
- Double cloth – Using half dyed yarn while the other half is left natural, saving 50% in typical water and chemical consumption.
- Oxi wash – Possesses steam-activated attributes that can help save on energy and water consumption.
- Cationic yarn fibers – Made to take dye more easily than normal fiber. Only a small amount of dye is needed to create a beautiful and vivid color.
- CVC with polygiene – Treated with a 100% recycled silver finish for antimicrobial and odor-fighting properties.
The Factors we Consider in Suppliers
Finally, we don’t work alone. We are reliant on a diverse network of suppliers and retail partners around the globe. We prioritize partners who care about their people and want to make a positive impact on the planet (and those who inhabit it). When sourcing, we look for companies that are passionate about their own environmental impact and taking appropriate action. We also prefer organizations that demonstrate social responsibility such as fair labor practices. We always keep an eye out for ethical sourcing which involves ensuring that suppliers adhere to ethical guidelines (such as using conflict-free materials) and that they provide transparency in their supply chains. Quality control, innovation, and continuous improvement are also principles that are important to us as we choose where to source materials from. Together, Sunham – alongside the companies we partner with – seeks to make a positive difference for both the environment and the communities where we all live and work.
If you’re interested in becoming a retail partner, you can learn more here, and you can learn more about the brands that we work with here.
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