Sustainability & Responsibility

We’re working on being kinder to the planet we all share, while still offering high-quality products.

We know that sustainability is important: for our customers, our team, and of course, the planet. We also know that all the sustainability challenges in the fashion industry don’t have a quick fix.

Improving

Our Planet

Doing the right thing—for the planet and people—is what we’re learning to do as we grow.

Made to Order

Every purchase, big or small, has a footprint. With each purchase, you have a choice. You choose the size of the mark to leave on the planet, and we want to help you choose wisely.

Around 85% of all textiles produced by the fashion industry end up in landfills, making it a major contributor to environmental damage. One in every five garments reaches a landfill without being worn even once. By choosing print-on-demand, you choose apparel that's created only as the order is placed, creating less fabric waste than conventional manufacturing.

Limiting waste

Salish.Designs products are made using the made-to-order production approach, fulfilling only the items our customers actually want. But we still have a lot to learn and do to make our production process more sustainable.

To take care of fabric waste in the Mexico and Charlotte facilities, our production partners have partnered with waste management services, such as Geocycle and Martex.

In order to reduce waste from being produced in the first place, last year they optimized all-over print product layouts. Previously, all-over print products generated 42% leftover fabric, but last year it was lowered it to 35%. We hope to see this reduce this even more.

Efficient Shipping

Around 78% of Salish.Design orders are delivered in the same region they’re fulfilled. Having fulfillment centers close to our customers is good both for the business and the planet. Strategically located fulfillment centers allow for faster shipping times and lower shipping costs, and it also helps with reducing the CO₂ emissions produced when transporting orders.

We currently partner with facilities on both US coasts—in Charlotte, North Carolina and Los Angeles, California. We also have fulfillment centers in Canada, Mexico, Latvia, Spain, Australia and Japan.

Quality

Products

Since quality is sustainability, we're dedicated to giving you products that last.

Reliable quality

The better the quality, the longer the product lasts. Before we add new products, we do durability, wash, and wear tests to make sure they’ll stand the test of time. Producing long-lasting products means reducing new purchases.

We work with suppliers that produce high-quality products that last many washes, keeping print colors vibrant and the fabric soft. To provide you information about product sourcing or manufacturing, in 2020 we added the product certificates that are available to us—such as GOTS and OEKO-TEX—to all our products that have been certified.

Efficient printing

A significant part of our products are printed with the direct-to-garment (DTG) technique. With DTG, ink is sprayed onto the garment, which helps it soak better into the fabric and makes the print less prone to fading.

For our DTG prints, we use Kornit machines and inks. Kornit uses high-quality, water-based vegan inks that they formulate, test, and produce in their own factories. Kornit inks are non-hazardous, toxin-free, biodegradable, and certified with an OEKO-TEX Eco Passport.

For our all-over print products we use Mimaki printers—their inks are also certified with the OEKO-TEX Eco Passport.

People

We value and celebrate people from all walks of life and stay committed to creating a work environment that is safe and welcoming for all.

Growth Culture

Our team is constantly curious, welcoming experiments and changes as part of our daily routine. We respect and care about one another, work together to reach our goals, and act with empathy and kindness.

The journey of becoming more environmentally aware is a long one, and we remain open-minded and welcome customers' suggestions and opinions.

We're starting with realistic, tangible goals, and looking ahead to find new ways to improve.