Our new garment tags - why they matter and what they represent.
The average person in the UK throws away around 400kg of waste each year !!!
That’s a shocking statistic and although Bex and I have been very committed to recycling in our own lives for a long time, we now have our business to consider, and we are determined that Hey Lola's impact on the planet is as minimal as possible.
We started Hey Lola with a greener way of production front-of-mind and having worked for major corporates and for startups in our previous careers, we know that starting out on the right path is far easier (and better) than correcting your course later when you’re bigger and processes are more ingrained.
Our base products are sourced ethically and sustainably - see here for more details on this.
99% of our packaging is compostable and always has been. It’s also recyclable if that’s what you choose to do with it (and many do) but we felt it was important to be as near to 100% compostable as possible so that when it does find its way to landfill, it degrades quickly with no nasties leaching into the soil.
We use as much of our component supplies as is possible to achieve through smart pattern-laying and we throw away a very minimal amount. We have a full donation program in place whereby we donate our extra supplies and products to charitable causes. From cut-offs to packaging to finished products. Nothing goes to landfill.
The waste we produce has a current ratio of 78% re-usable/recyclable and 22% waste-to-energy. Waste-to-energy (incineration) is considerably less awful than landfill, but still not an amazing thing as it emits tiny particles of pollution during the process. It’s where the buck stops here. When we have exhausted every other possibility and we have waste that cannot be reused or recycled or composted, it goes into a dedicated waste-to-energy bin and we ensure that the waste is incinerated and not added to landfill. We produce approximately one 50 litre bag (standard UK bin bag size) of this waste every three weeks across hundreds of orders. That's far, far less than almost any other single UK business or household.
We are always looking for new ways of being better, whilst still delivering you a quality product that feels good to open, own and wear. Although we have made some compromises so that we can be more green, we know that our customers still love to open our parcels. Even more so knowing that it’s all recyclable and compostable.
All of this and all of the greener fashion measures that Hey Lola incorporate in the future is part of The Hey Lola Promise which we are highlighting with our new tags. They’re smaller than the postcards we’ve used in the past (these are gradually being phased out using our existing supplies) and they are easier for you to keep in order to reference recommended care instructions. They also serve as a reminder that we are thinking green and if you’re buying from us as a present, then the recipient knows that you care too. The tags are attached by reusable and useful little safety pins and NOT the nasty plastic tags you so often get. We have sourced a fully compostable tag which is not yet available on the market but as soon as it is, we will switch from safety pins to these.
We hope you like what we represent, how we strive to do better and we thank you for buying from us and making a real tangible difference.
