Processes & Materials

Organic cotton

T-shirts are made using organic cotton which has been grown on select farms in South India. The entire production process, including the farming of the cotton, is certified in accordance with the latest version of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). GOTS certification means that the production of organic cotton is better regulated and standards with regards to chemical use, waste water management, water and energy use have to be met. This is better for farmers and for the planet.

Approximately 60% of SmartSquid short sleeved t-shirts are manufactured in a vertically integrated garment factory in Tirupur, India. The factory is powered by renewable energy and these t-shirts are registered as climate neutral! The fabric for the t-shirts is spun and knitted in the factory before being dyed on site. The fabric is dyed using GOTS approved dyes in an on site zero-discharge dye house where all the water is recycled in a closed-loop system.T-shirts are made by a factory who are part of the Fair Wear Foundation, who regularly audit their factories to check people working on site are being treated fairly.

Long sleeved tops and around 40% of short sleeved t-shirts are made in Chandar, Kaliakoir Gazipur, Bangladesh, using organic cotton from South India. Again, the factory where these tops are made are members of the Fair Wear Foundation and are the entire production process is GOTS certified organic.

Vintage Fabrics

SmartSquid jackets are vintage chore worker jackets, often used by factory and transport workers. Using vintage clothing that already exists as a base for designs is a great way to minimise the environmental impact of a piece. Vintage items are often exceptionally crafted and made to last, so using vintage garments is a win win! The range of painted vintage pieces will continue to expand, keep an eye out for new (old!) pieces throughout 2021 .

All garments are screen printed or painted by Sarina in her studio in Bath, UK. Water-based inks are used for screen printing and painting, these water-based inks are better for the environment than conventional inks which contain plastics. No harsh chemicals are needed to clean inks off the screens after a screen-printing run either - screens are simply washed with warm water. So far, the black ink used is Soil Association certified organic, but new organic inks have just been released onto the market in a range of colours so all inks for future collections will be certified organic once existing inks have been used up.

Tags, packaging envelopes, tissue paper and information postcards are made from recycled paper and can be recycled or composted. Packages are sent out in carbon negative mailing bags made from a mix of corn starch and a blend of two bioplastics, PLA and PBAT; these are compostable and can be placed in your food waste bin - there is a QR code on the bag if you want to find out more! The stickers used for packaging are made from biodegradable, compostable cellulose.