Sustainability
I’m committed to protecting our planet in all that I create.
Everything I do with Emily and the Whippet is driven by my love of animals and nature, from illustrating the wonderful creatures on our planet to making sure the whippets have a comfy sofa to curl up on as I work! It’s easy to look at the world and think that the small things we do isn’t enough but I firmly believe that with us all doing what we can change the world, even if it’s only small. Below is a list of what I’ve achieved so far.
Tree Planting
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. For every order I received through the website, I plant a tree in your name. This helps to offset carbon emissions and helps to fight the approximate 18% of climate change that is caused by the loss of trees (Tree-nation, 2021). I’ve chosen the people who plant the Emily and the Whippet forest as they allow me to choose what species of tree is planted and where it goes. This means that, unlike many other tree planting services, we can help to choose trees that will thrive in their natural conditions, helping to rebuild habitats for the ecosystems that need them most. When deforestation has been identified as one of the main threats to 85% of the species on the IUCN’s Red List (WWF, 2021), this is especially important. The cherry on the top? My website is carbon neutral too! If you want to view our forest, you can click HERE.
Supporting Workers Rights
A whopping 93% of brands aren’t paying garment workers a living wage (Fashion Checker, 2020), despite clothing production being the third biggest manufacturing industry after the automotive and technology industries (House of Common Environmental Audit Committee, 2019). I started my clothing collection with a desire to create beautiful designs for items of clothing that were comfy, withstand wear and, most importantly, were planet-friendly. This is why it’s so important to me that my t-shirts are made by a company that supports worker rights like the right to fair pay and good working conditions. They cost more than most are used to to make and I take a cut from my profits to help reduce their cost but I firmly believe that the protection of these rights is a must in fashion.
Organic & Vegan
My t-shirts are made from 100% brushed organic cotton. Not only does this make them super soft and comfy, but not using artificial fertilisers and toxic hazardous pesticides when producing them means that local biodiversity is boosted (Soil Association, 2021)! They’re also vegan certified; they’re made using vegan alternatives to animal-derived materials. A love of animals and nature is at the heart of all I do and I’m committed to never using anything that’s been tested on animals at Emily and the Whippet.
Plastic-Free Packaging
All of the Emily and the Whippet packaging are recycled, recyclable and/or biodegradable. Orders are wrapped in recycled green acid-free tissue paper and some orders include a mustard biodegradable jute string. I use recycled hardbacked envelopes to send prints and cards, using paper tape to close or attach items as necessary and to reduce paper waste, I don’t include packing slips. Your favourite Ziggy postcards? Well, all my business cards and Ziggy postcards are printed on fully recycled materials! Items sent directly by my lovely supplier will arrive in plastic-free paper packaging that is fully biodegradable.
At present, you can choose if you’d like your greetings cards sent wrapped in a recycled cellophane wrapper but once these are gone, they’re gone. It seems counterintuitive to waste them! Since I gave you the option to have your items sent without a wrapper, very few orders now include them meaning that the old supply of wrappers has been dwindling more and more!
Eco-Printing
All of my art prints, greeting cards and packaging labels are printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified materials, using an eco-friendly printer that’s plastic cartridge free. The FSC are the good people promoting the responsible management of our forests. My greetings cards are printed on recycled card and I’m working on finding an art paper that’s recycled without losing out on the quality you love.
Print On Demand
I print all my products on demand to reduce waste. This means that I only create what I need to reduce excess items being stored that might go to waste. This means that the items that aren’t printed in-house will only travel once too. For example, rather than me ordering a box of t-shirts then posting them out again to you, my t-shirts are sent directly from the supplier to you. This removes a journey and therefore the emissions of another delivery on the road!
Locally Sourced
I work with UK businesses to create my products and source materials locally whenever possible. For example, with the company who embroiders my beanie hats for me. My clothing items and mugs are also dispatched directly from my supplier to you. These things help to support the local economy and prevent excess transport emissions.
I’m a firm believer that working towards a sustainable business will always be a work in progress but I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve so far. I’m always searching for more that I can do. If you have any suggestions, I’d love you to get in contact with me HERE.