SUSTAINABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY

We understand the need to reduce our environmental impact and be a sustainable business, whilst delivering you the best products and most unique designs we can. That’s why we work with the manufactures and the fulfilment centres that we do.

No Warehouses, Just Fulfilment Centres

We don’t stock a massive array of pre-printed apparel in a giant warehouse, waiting for orders to come in. Instead, we utilise a worldwide reach of fulfilment centres that print, sew and ship all of our orders. This not only helps to reduce our carbon footprint by fulfilling your order as close to your delivery address as possible (an average of 86% of orders fulfilled are produced in the same region), but it stops waste caused by over production. With 20% (1 in 5) of garments ending up in a landfill without ever being worn, the print on demand model we use at OUTDORK prevents overproduction and creates less fabric waste than regular manufacturing.

So, let’s get real. We’re not fast fashion. We’re sustainable fashion. Fast fashion is fast to produce, and fast to wear down. It’s a large contributor to global carbon emissions, has boosted the fashion industry to being the 2nd largest consumer of fresh water in the world and is a huge contributor to the 100 million tons of textile and fabric waste each year. That’s huge, and definitely not sustainable. That’s why we print on demand. We don’t make it unless you want it, leaving your wallet happier and the environment better.

Direct-To-Garment Printing with Kornit Printers

Direct to garment (DTG) printing is much more sustainable than screen printing, and a heck of a lot more precise. During DTG printing, the ink is sprayed onto the garment, allowing it to soak into the fabric fibres, a little like printing onto paper. This method is fast, efficient and allows for a much broader colour range and a higher level of detail. It also doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve stuck a giant sheet of plastic to your t-shirt!

All of our fulfilment centres use Kornit printers, some of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable DTG printers in the world. All of their inks are Vegan Certified, approved by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and hold the OETO-TEX Eco Passport certification. Kornit are an approved BlueSign Partner, giving them recognition for meeting the highest standards in chemical safety. Kornit printers are so eco-friendly that they produce almost 0% waste water and use much less energy that most other industry printers. For us at OUTDORK, using a printing company that’s this awesome was an absolute no-brainer!

Post-Consumer Recycled Packaging

We carefully chose our fulfilment centres based on their values toward the environment and their impact on mother Earth. Which is why we are proud to announce that 90%–100% of items that are shipped to you from our fulfilment centres in North America (Canada included!) are in post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging. And don’t worry, the rest of the fulfilment centres across the word are quickly following suit!

By using recycled content, it not only takes less energy to produce but reduces environmental impact and saves our much needed virgin resources, creating a happier and healthier planet.

Manufacturers That Care

We wear and use all of our products ourselves to make sure they’re fit for purpose, are high quality, long lasting and fit perfectly. If a manufacturer says it’s unisex, you better believe we’re buying our latest designs and wearing each others stuff, just to make sure it truly is gender neutral (and guess what, it really is). But this isn’t the only thing we look for when deciding on which manufacturer to use.

Our t-shirts are carefully selected due to their ability to fit everyone, their size range (XS to 5XL), their side seams, their consistent fit and sizing, their airlume, combed and ring-spun cotton manufacturing process and being pre-shrunk before the fabric is cut and sewn.

Not only are our t-shirt, hoodie and sweater suppliers great at making sure their products are some of the highest quality around, but their sustainability and environmental practises put them a cut above the rest. They recycle and reuse energy across multiple processes in their manufacturing to reduce heat, energy and water usage and to help protect the environment. Their dye machines are extremely efficient, using 7 x less water than the industry average, which saves approximately 24 million gallons of water every week! Your OUTDORK t-shirt is basically helping to save the planet.

Disability Friendly

Let’s just put this right out there. Our founder and owner is Autistic. Like many other neurodivergents, they suffer with sensory issues when it comes to clothing, accessories and any other consumable, so not only was it important for all suppliers to meet the high sustainability standards expected, but having sensory sensitive fabrics and items was a must in order to be fully inclusive.

The ability to have printed tags on the inner neck, soft material with a light stretch, non-restrictive sleeves and necklines, good sleeve lengths, barely-there seams, good body lengths, pre-shrunk and long lasting fabric and printing techniques that feel great to wear, are all small things that can make a large difference to those with fabric sensitivities. That’s why at OUTDORK, we’re proud to say our suppliers tick each one of those boxes.

By using suppliers and manufacturers that not only meet our sustainability needs, but that also meet our disability friendly needs, we are hoping to help reduce clothing waste either further, by offering an otherwise forgotten community garments that are comfortable, long lasting and that meet their sensory needs.

Sustainability Is Our Responsibility - In Numbers

Take a look at the numbers from our suppliers by clicking on the link below. Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility, from the ground up. All of our carbon footprints leave a mark on our planet, and that’s why, at OUTDORK, we’ve carefully selected our products based on quality, sustainability and environmental impact.