Sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY

As a business, we are very aware that by sourcing sewing patterns
from around the world and sending hundreds of orders out every day, we
have an impact on the environment. With this in mind, we continually
work to reduce our footprint on the world. We always look to work with,
support and promote other small businesses with the same values as us.
We have long-standing relationships with the small businesses who help
us to provide the services needed to run The Fold Line. When sourcing
supplies and services we make sustainable choices.

Below we share with you the positive steps we have taken and the work
we still want to do. We’re always looking for new ways to be more
sustainable. Do you have any suggestions to help us improve? We’d love
to hear from you.

CONSCIOUS BRANDS

We actively seek out pattern designers who use sustainable practices
and give back to their communities. We also quality check the sewing patterns
we add to our shop to make sure they are of a high
quality. A sewing pattern which has been thoroughly tested with
comprehensive instructions is much more likely to give you a finished
garment that you will want to wear and cherish for years to come. Here
are some of the innovative brands you can find in our online shop:

TAUKO Magazine
is a pioneering independent print publication for home sewists and
fashion and culture lovers, who have a big heart for the planet. It
looks to find new, regenerative and empowering ways to celebrate design
and clothes. It’s a start for positive system change in the fashion
industry.

Sew Liberated
has evolved to focus on slow fashion and sustainability. The designer
believes that the act of making one’s own clothes can be transformative,
personally and on a global scale, when done through the lens of
sustainable fashion. Meg also hosts an online course, The Mindful
Wardrobe Project, helping makers adopt a healthy slow fashion practice.

Both Helen’s Closet and Friday Pattern Company give 5% of their proceeds to charity each month.

Named
donate 1% of their annual turnover to 1% for The Planet and their
pattern packaging is plastic free. They also recycle their sample
textiles and send us wholesale orders using plastic-free packaging.

Read more about our charity projects here.

OUR PACKAGING

We now stock five sizes of packing envelopes, which minimises ‘space
waste’. Our packing envelopes are manufactured from F-wave corrugated
card, which is durable with minimal bulk and waste. They are plastic
free and fully recyclable/compostable at home. They are made from
FSC-certified and climate-neutral materials.

For extra large orders we use eco-friendly mailing bags, which are
made from a by-product of sugar cane. The sugar cane is grown on
reclaimed wasteland and the bags are manufactured without the use of
fossil fuels. They are fully compostable at home and carbon neutral.

RECYCLING

All delivery materials, including boxes and packaging, are reused
where possible first and then recycled. We also recycle all office waste
where possible, from paper envelopes to ink cartridges. We donate end
of line stock to a charity local to us, Animal Rescue and Care, which they sell at events to raise funds.

ENERGY

Our homes, workplaces and computers are powered by Britain’s greenest
energy company Ecotricity. We only print when necessary and use FSC-certified Woodland Trust printer paper where the energy for paper
production is generated from waste material resulting in zero CO2
emissions from fossil fuels and excess heat is piped into a community
project.

Recycling the materials you receive from us means that more of our packaging can be reused and resources saved.

Here’s what you can do to help:

Cardboard mailers, envelopes, postcards and invoices. These are fully recyclable. Use the envelopes again or to store sewing patterns or paperwork.

Eco-friendly mailing bags. Compost at home or at a community composting scheme.

Paper sewing patterns or magazines. Donate to a charity shop or give to a friend.

Need help?

Please read our Terms of Service. If you can’t find the answer to your question or you are having problems with your order please email us at hello@thefoldline.com.