Better materials

We balance quality, comfort and sustainability, creating garments designed to last. Choosing better materials at the design and sourcing stage is central to our mission to making a positive contribution and reducing our environmental impact. Every season, we integrate even more responsible fibres into our collection, such as organic, recycled and sustainable fibres, like TENCEL™, which have a lower impact on the environment. By opting for recycled fibres, the demand for new virgin fibres decreases and textile waste is kept in use, and out of landfill. All the responsible fibres that we use at Scotch & Soda are certified by third-party organisations.

OUR RESPONSIBLE MATERIALS STANDARD

To support you in making informed choices when shopping with us, and to help us to measure our progress, we have developed the Scotch & Soda responsible standard for materials. Currently we consider a main material to be responsible if it is made with at least 20% responsible fibres. These are certified fibres that are organic, recycled, regenerative or renewable from a biological or technical source, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester or ECONYL®. From Summer 2022 onwards, we will be increasing this to a minimum of 50%, except in the use of recycled cotton, in which our threshold is 20% to ensure that we maintain the durability and quality of the fabric as the fibres of recycled cotton are shorter. For outerwear, our responsible material standard needs to apply to both the outer shell fabric and the filling.

In our current Summer 2021 collection, 41% of all styles across all lines meet our current responsible materials standard of 20%. Our aim is to increase this so that 70% of styles will be made according to our responsible materials criteria of 50% by 2024.

Here's a quick guide to the responsible fibres we use in our collections:

ECONYL®

A regenerated nylon yarn made from waste, such as industrial plastic, waste fabric and fishing nets recovered from the ocean. The same quality as virgin nylon, we use this fibre to make some of our swimwear styles. Look out for the special hangtag.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™

Branded sustainable viscose fibres from LENZING™, derived from certified renewable wood sources using eco-responsible production processes. We use this in a variety of styles, such as dresses and shirts.

ORGANIC COTTON

Cotton that is certified, grown from non-GM-modified crops and on land that is free from pesticides. We use this to make products like T-shirts, sweatshirts and denim styles.

RECYCLED COTTON

New cotton fibres are made by recycling cotton fabric from the textile industry or unwanted garments. As the fibres of recycled cotton are shorter, these need to be blended with other fibres to maintain durability and quality. You can find recycled cotton in garments like jeans and sweaters.

RECYCLED NYLON

Made from textile industry waste, recycled nylon is used in some of our jackets and swim shorts.

RECYCLED POLYESTER

Polyester that is made by recycling existing resources, such as recycled plastic bottles, polyester waste and garments. Recycled polyester can be used in all sorts of garments, e.g. jackets, T-shirts, blazers and dresses.

RECYCLED LEATHER

Used leather and scraps are repurposed to make new leather. We've used this for some denim back patches and leather accessories like wallets.

REPREVE®

A branded recycled polyester fibre made from recycled content, including plastic bottles. We use it as a filling for our padded jackets. From Winter 2021 onwards, all padded jackets will be filled with REPREVE® filling. Look out for the special hangtag.

TENCEL™ LYOCELL

Branded lyocell fibres from LENZING™, which are extracted from sustainably sourced wood using a unique closed-loop system that recovers and reuses solvents. We use it to make a range of styles, including T-shirts, shirts and denim styles.

TENCEL™ MODAL

Wood-based textile fibres from LENZING™, which are extracted from naturally grown beech wood using a responsible pulp-to-fibre process. This soft-touch fibre is used in T-shirts, sweatshirts and shirts.

OUR STORE DESIGN MATERIALS

Our mission extends to our store environments. Wherever possible we work with local companies to build our stores and recycle the existing materials. All wooden elements in our store concepts are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved and certified. Since 2016 we've been implementing LED lighting in our stores and showrooms.

All new stores are fitted with hangers made from RCS certified Fasal®, a wooden compound made from renewable resources and designed to be circular. At the end of their life these hangers are collected and made into new ones.

OUR PACKAGING MATERIALS

In 2019, we introduced FSC certified paper and cardboard for all our hang tags and shipping boxes, and this is our new normal for any new packaging solutions we create. Using FSC certified products ensures that the materials come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Another area of improvement that we're working towards is an alternative solution for all our plastic product packaging. It's important to find the right solution that protects our product, to ensure that it reaches you in the best condition. We're testing two options and expect to start implementing our chosen solution in 2022.

You can help us in our mission by reusing and recycling our packaging materials.

RESTRICTED SUBSTANCE LIST

We have a list of over 100 chemicals (including chemical finishes and procedures) that we do not use in the creation of our collections, documented in the Scotch & Soda Restricted Substance List (RSL). All our suppliers commit to and comply with the RSL list, which ensures that the legislation surrounding the proper use of chemicals and substances is upheld. To ensure compliance, our products are regularly checked by third-party certified testing laboratories.

ANIMAL WELFARE

Animal welfare is important to us, which is why we are fully committed to being a 100% fur-free brand. We have an Animal Welfare policy that each supplier that we work with commits to and complies with.

We do not use virgin angora (stopped 2019) or mohair (stopped 2019).
We do not use virgin feathers or down (stopped 2019).
As of 2021, we will no longer produce clothing made with virgin cashmere.
We do not test any cosmetic product – or the raw materials used in their formulation – on animals.
We do not use materials derived from endangered species as per the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Any leather or skin must be sourced as a by-product of the meat industry and from producers that practice good animal husbandry. Leather or skin must not be obtained whilst the animal is still alive or from aborted animals. Skins from wild-caught animals and exotic animals must not be used in Scotch & Soda products.
Wool must be sourced from producers with good animal husbandry. Merino wool used in Scotch & Soda products must not be sourced from farmers who practice mulesing.