Sustainability Resources

Sustainable Shopping Is Not a Destination. It Is a Series of Better Decisions.

We are all figuring this out as we go, with better information rather than better intentions. These are the tools, organisations and resources that have genuinely helped us think more carefully about what we stock, who we work with, and how we operate. We rather hope they are as useful to you as they have been to us.

We ask hard questions of every brand.
And we do not stock the ones
who cannot answer all of them.

Understanding Your Impact

Carbon Footprint

• Carbon Trust. Calculate the environmental impact of your lifestyle choices.
• EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator. The US Environmental Protection Agency's tool for measuring personal carbon emissions.
• Carbon Footprint. A comprehensive calculator covering travel, home energy and shopping habits.

Supply Chain Transparency

• Fashion Revolution. Global movement demanding transparency in the fashion industry.

Sustainable Shopping Guides

Brand Rating Platforms

• Good On You. Rates fashion brands on their impact on people, planet and animals.
• B Corp Directory. Find certified B Corporation brands committed to social and environmental standards.
• Ethical Consumer. UK-based research and ratings on ethical brands across categories.
• Positive Luxury. The Butterfly Mark, for luxury and lifestyle brands committed to positive change.

Educational Resources

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The leading resource on circular economy principles and sustainable business models.
• Textile Exchange. Industry organisation advancing sustainable fibre and materials.
• Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. Products designed for the circular economy.

Certifications Worth Knowing

Textile and Fashion

• GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard. The gold standard for organic fibre certification, covering the full supply chain.
• Soil Association. UK organic certification covering food, farming, beauty and textiles.
• Fairtrade Foundation. Fair trade certification and guidance on finding certified products.
• World Fair Trade Organization. A global community of fair trade enterprises and principles.

Home, Furniture and Materials

• FSC, the Forest Stewardship Council. Certification for responsibly sourced wood and paper, which matters enormously once furniture is involved.
• Ethical Trading Initiative. Alliance working to improve conditions for workers in global supply chains.

Fair Trade and Ethical Production

Labour Rights Resources

• Clean Clothes Campaign. International campaign improving conditions for garment workers.
• Fair Labor Association. Collaborative effort to improve working conditions worldwide.

Giving Back

Organisations We Support Directly

• Smart Works. UK charity helping unemployed women into work through professional clothing and coaching, with a remarkable record: 68% of the women who visit go on to get the job.
• Sutton Night Watch. Supporting people affected by homelessness across the London Borough of Sutton and beyond. We donate dead stock and samples directly to them, and encourage our brand partners to do the same.

Further Donation and Support

• Dress for Success. International nonprofit providing professional attire and career development tools to women.
• 1% for the Planet. A global movement of businesses donating 1% of revenue to environmental causes.
• Repair Cafe. A global movement of community repair workshops. Fix things, rather than binning them.
• TerraCycle. Recycling solutions for the hard-to-recycle.

Industry Research Worth Reading

• Fashion Revolution Transparency Index. Annual assessment of fashion brand transparency.
• Global Fashion Agenda. Industry sustainability insights and priorities.
• Textile Exchange Material Change Insights. Data on sustainable fibre and material adoption.

Questions Worth Asking

When shopping with any brand, ours included, these are worth keeping in mind:

• Where and how is this made?
• What materials are used, and why those?
• How does this company ensure fair wages?
• What is their approach to reducing environmental impact?
• How transparent are they about their supply chain?
• Is this designed to last, or just to follow a trend?

More on how we apply these ourselves: how we choose brands.

Curious about a specific brand on Brix + Bailey? Ask us. We are happy to share what we know about their practices and commitments.