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As little drops of water make a mighty ocean, we at The August Co. also, try to imbibe sustainable practices in every small way possible to move away from the absorbing world of fast fashion.
Sustainable Clothing
We believe that once it comes to clothing, half the battle is won by eliminating the use of synthetic, polyester fabrics. We are not buying any new polyester fabrics and have shifted gears to use only sustainable fabrics like linen, recycled wool, bamboo, organic cotton, to name a few. As much as we can, we try using coconut buttons which are made from discarded coconut shells. Our recent collections are a testimony to that.
The White Linen Edit:
Linen is a fabric that’s natural, breathable, and sustainable. This collection is an ode to this loved fabric with designs that are timeless.
The Warm Edit:
All the discarded woolen clothes are collected and shredded to form yarn. This yarn is then woven to create recycled wool fabric. We have used such fabrics for our collection, trying to be a part of the change.
The Second Skin Edit:
We all have that one tee in our wardrobe that we wear, again and again, every single time when we are in a gloomy mood and need that comfort. This collection is an attempt for The August Co. to be that tee for you. Made of bamboo, organic cotton, this is the softest tee you would have ever worn, AND it is sustainable! Truly feels like the second skin, trust us on this!
Sustainable Packaging
Getting rid of plastic packaging in the garments industry is an uphill battle. Right from how the fabric arrives, to how the garments are stored to the dispatches, every step uses plastic packaging. While we have not been able to tackle the packaging that goes into the fabric packing as there are transport and weather issues, we have been able to figure out the other two.
We have moved to a just-in-time model where we produce as we get the orders. With our manufacturing unit, it gives us the liberty to be able to produce in small quantities. So, each garment is quite literally made just for you. This takes care of the packaging problem in storing garments. Even if we need to store any garment for any reason, we store it in white fabric.
Undertaking the project of eliminating plastic packaging in orders dispatch was a project that didn’t have a ready solution. This needed research, and so our team buried themselves in this arduous ask. After multiple failed attempts, tests, and feedback, we now have plastic-free packaging. The only synthetic material we are using is a small piece of sticking tape. We tried to staple the packages, but the courier companies refused to accept the packages without any tape on it, and how could we not send out our customers’ orders in time?! Meanwhile, we are hoping to move to a good-adhesive paper tape for this soon.
Reducing Waste
We aim to be a zero-waste organization and have embarked on that journey. We utilize the fabric waste during production to make ensemble add-ons like scrunchies and headbands along with lifestyle knick-knacks such as bottle warmers, stationery kits, and coin bags. This way, we are able to use almost 70% of the fabric scraps. We are working to recycle the remaining 30% effective in the near future.
Sustainable Living
Our office is well-lit, well-ventilated and we fully enjoy the lovely Bangalore weather through the large windows in our office. As a matter of fact, our team often jokes that our office has no walls and only windows! With all this, we save electricity.
Over 100 million plastic bottles are manufactured and discarded after use, polluting our oceans and mountains too. As a small effort to reduce this, we have implemented the usage of individual glass bottles that are reused. We always have our beverages in our own mugs rather than using disposable cups, ensuring that we do not generate more waste for our landfills. We try hard to go that extra mile, to do our best to be sustainable.
Right from paying fair wages & providing a pleasant workspace to our employees to procuring fabrics directly from the weavers, we attempt to bring in sustainability in every phase from production to purchase.
Employee Friendly Practices.
In our small production unit, we have production staff, 90% of whom are women. With online classes in schools, some of our employees bring their children to the office. We provide a safe and friendly environment where the children can study and relax.
Our production unit is in the same premises as our design team with only a transparent glass wall separating the two. The airy, spacious, and well-lit office is what The August Co. resonates with.
We believe in inclusive growth and respect the employees as pillars upon which our organisation is built. Our staff is paid fair wages and we provide them with medical insurance. As we grow, we will make sure that our team grows with us. Helping women from weaker sections of society is one of our many core values and we do whatever we can to action this.
These are the tiny steps we take to ensure we sleep well at night and do our bit in saving the planet. We want this blog to help you understand that sustainability is a mindset. It begins with YOU.
