Sustainability Resources

We're all figuring this out as we go. Sustainable shopping isn't a destination, it's a series of better decisions, made with better information. 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 hope they're equally useful for you.

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 — 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 — Butterfly Mark certification for luxury and lifestyle brands committed to positive change

Educational Resources

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation — 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 — Information about products designed for the circular economy

Certifications Worth Knowing

Textile and Fashion

• GOTS — 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 — Global community of fair trade enterprises and principles

Home, Furniture and Materials

• FSC — Forest Stewardship Council — Certification for responsibly sourced wood and paper products, relevant for home and furniture brands
• 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. Remarkable track record: 68% of 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 we 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 — Global movement of community repair workshops. Fix things. Don't bin them.
• TerraCycle — Innovative recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle materials

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, including ours, these are worth keeping in mind:

• Where and how is this made?
• What materials are used and why?
• How does this company ensure fair wages?
• What's 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.

We don't have all the answers. The sustainability landscape shifts constantly and anyone who claims otherwise is probably selling something. What we can tell you is that we ask hard questions of every brand we work with, and we won't stock brands that can't answer them honestly.

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