ECO-FRIENDLY FASHION IS NOT ONLY DEFINED BY BUYING ETHICAL CLOTHES. BUT BY HOW WE CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE PRODUCE, CONSUME AND DISPOSE OF OUR CLOTHES.
Responsible practices
We integrate sustainable practices into everything we do. From fabric to labels to buttons, our products are made with eco-friendly materials. From presentation to delivery, we seek to minimize our impact on the planet. From choosing a supplier to hiring an employee; people are at the heart of our concerns.
MADE IN QUEBEC
All Message Factory and Oöm Éthikwear clothing is designed, cut and made by responsible manufacturing partners located in Quebec. If we can't make it here, we won't create it.
Manufacturing in Canada allows us to keep a close eye on quality and work closely with our local partners at every stage of the production process. This may seem odd, but we visit all of our manufacturers. Most mass-market clothing brands never see the inside of their factories. Far from the practices of Fast Fashion, we know exactly who made each of our garments.
60% OF GARMENT WORKERS IN INDIA AND BANGLADESH HAVE SUFFERED ABUSE OF ALL KINDS. - SOURCE: FASHION REVOLUTION
FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS
Buying locally made Quebec clothing stimulates the economy and creates jobs for your neighbor, friends, or family. It also ensures that the workers who made your clothing have safe working conditions, fair pay, and are treated equally. While these rights may seem basic, they are simply not guaranteed in many of the countries where clothing is made today.
Many countries have a minimum wage, the lowest legal wage a company can pay its workers. This is very different from a living wage – the minimum wage a garment worker should earn to feed themselves, their family, and pay for rent, healthcare, transportation, and education. In large production facilities located in different countries, workers can be neglected, mistreated, and their health can be put at risk. That’s why transparency and detailed information about the production chain are essential.
REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT
Clothing production accounts for 70% of the fashion industry’s overall carbon footprint. Fast fashion emits 1.2 trillion tons of CO2 per year. These emissions come from production facilities, transportation and shipping methods, and environmental impacts related to raw materials. The largest sources of fashion-related waste are textile waste at the production stage and surplus clothing produced. The more we produce, the more we pollute and the more we need to find solutions to dispose of the surplus.
By producing in Quebec, we are able to produce in small batches, which means producing on demand, not on quotas. Our carbon footprint is also much lower since 90% of our manufacturers are located less than 50km from our shipping center. In addition, 75% of our fabrics are dyed and woven in the greater Montreal area, which also limits transportation between subcontractors. Since everything is made here and shipped to North America, there are no containers on ships crossing the Pacific and therefore, many fewer trees to plant to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
The 30% of the carbon footprint generated by the fashion industry is directly related to how each of us care for our clothes and how we choose to dispose of them. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that you can make a difference by adopting a simple maintenance technique (hyperlink to blog post) to ensure a long life for your clothes and at the same time reduce their impact on the environment.
ECO-FRIENDLY SHIPPING
To remain consistent with our practices, we do not use plastic hangers or packaging and we ship our products in recycled boxes to our network of retailers. Our online orders are shipped in reusable and recyclable 100% recycled polyester bags. In store, we offer reusable and biodegradable bags to our customers if they really need them, otherwise we encourage them to use their existing bags. It is also possible to pick up an online order at our store and thus avoid packaging and shipping costs.
Our processes, relationships with others, purchasing and work environment are regularly reviewed to ensure they are aligned with our values. We still have a long way to go to meet our own expectations, but we firmly believe that every small action can have an impact!