So what is zero waste?
“Zero Waste is the conservation of all resources utilizing responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning, and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.” – Definition of Zero Waste as adopted by the Zero Waste International Alliance
We aim to send as little as possible to landfill and are always conscious in our decision-making process and recycle and compost what we can, so what are some of the things we do?
- BIODEGRADABLE GARMENT BAGS - We use only compostable/biodegradable garment bags and recycled boxes from our factory, meaning NO Plastic! This is such an important one for us. Reducing our single-use plastics and plastic altogether, for that matter, is one of the top priorities here at Aster & Oak HQ. The impact it (or lack thereof) is vital for paving the way for a more sustainable future.
- COMPOSTABLE POSTAGE SATCHELS - Using only compostable/biodegradable satchels for postage to customers – Through the No Issue initiative, we plant trees every time we order our tissue paper, stickers, and packaging supplies, therefore replacing what we have used. We believe that every time something is taken from the environment, we should equally replace it.
- GARMENT SECONDS - Every garment will not be perfect; it may have a small hole or stain when it arrives at our warehouse. But, we don’t just throw these garments away to the landfill. We hold on to them and pop them in seconds & samples mystery bags for customers to enjoy at a lower price! It’s a win, win for everyone.
- RECYCLED TISSUE WRAP - We wrap our customer orders in recycled tissue paper. We don’t just talk the talk; we walk it too. All of your goodies arrive to you in Eco-conscious packaging, which is biodegradable and won’t hurt the earth.
- RECYCLED PAPER - We only use recycled paper for printing invoices. As any business owner knows, sometimes printing is necessary, so we’ve put steps in place to ensure that we’re as Eco-conscious with our printing as possible. We’re currently taking steps to remove all printing from our practices, which we are so excited about.
- GOTS CERTIFICATION - Our GOTS certification standard means less water consumption, and our fabric does not contain toxic materials or ozone-depleting substances. They are made from organic fibers and processed in a sustainable manner using low impact dyes. Which is all fancy speak, for we’re doing our bit to reduce the offset that, unfortunately, the fashion industry is known for. It makes us so excited that we’re standing up and being part of this change.
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ORGANIC COTTON - Organic cotton clothing means more wear and durability, which means less waste. It maintains its softness, durability, and quality, even when washed and worn time and time again, keeping its shape and softness for many years to come. In a compost, 100% cotton may biodegrade within as little as a week but usually takes about five months.
- CARBON OFFSET - We contribute to a low carbon economy by ensuring our website is carbon Offset, only producing 0.70g of CO2 per website visit. We combat this by planting trees to replace what we use. We genuinely believe in replacing everything we take to ensure life cycles aren’t interrupted or disturbed by us.
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SMALL BATCH SEASONS - Aster & Oak only manufacture in small batches as we are committed to not contributing to fast fashion. The environmental impact of fast fashion is enormous. The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Cheap and fast clothes come at a high environmental cost, one we’re unwilling to contribute to.
- FABRIC SCRAPS - All our fabric scraps are upcycled, recycled, or donated, and all faulty or misprinted items are donated or sold as ‘seconds’ to reduce waste to almost zero. Throwing things away isn’t an option for us. We believe everything should go on to live another life if it can’t be used for its intended purpose.
We’re so incredibly proud of the steps we’ve taken to reduce our impact on the environment and are always reviewing our practices to see if we can improve the impact we have on our amazing
