Did you know that our tees are sustainably produced? Or that the cotton in our organic line comes from cotton farms in Texas? Did you know our seamstresses are paid only fair wages?
Read below to learn more about how our tees are made. We are going to break it down, because we are proud of the tees we sell and how they are produced!
ETHICALLY MADE
Our adult tees and non-organic kids tees are made almost entirely right here in the US of A. Our tees create thousands of American jobs each year. Currently, our t-shirt manufacturer is the largest dyer and cutter of apparel in the US. Our t-shirts are designed here, dyed here, and cut here. After that, they leave for Central America or stay in Los Angeles where they are assembled in an anti-sweatshop environment that we are proud to support. In addition, our t-shirt manufacturer is WRAP certified, (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production), which means that they treat every single employee with dignity and respect and they are continually striving to better the environment, not harm it. WRAP is a incredibly difficult accreditation to receive and our manufacturer has received a platinum certification - the highest level possible!
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
The human impact is paramount, but the environmental impact is also something we strive to change for the better every day. While many companies produce enough waste to fill several swimming pools daily, our manufacturer's sewing floor creates almost no landfill, so everything they can’t be turned into a tee is either recycled or re-purposed. Their dye houses use 7x less water than the average clothing manufacturer. They also power their sewing floor and headquarters with solar energy generated from solar panels on their roof. By the end of 2019, they’ll have a 450,000 square foot solar farm to further their commitment to clean energy.
GREAT FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS
Many of our tees in this line are made out of sustainably sourced airlume cotton, which is the cleanest cotton on the market. What is airlume cotton? It means they remove 2.5 more impurities than standard ring-spun cotton through extensive combing. Removing unnatural elements in the cotton like debris and dirt can make the cotton safer for those with allergies and sensitive skin. So not only can you feel good about wearing our tees, but they feel good to wear ;).
OUR ORGANIC LINE
Our organic onesies and tees are all produced within 150 miles of Asheville, NC from cotton grown in Texas by the Texas Organic Growers Co-Op. Everything from the seed to the shirt, from the farm to the fabric, is made right here in the US.
Our manufacturers start with fiber sourced from the Texas Organic Growers Co-op - a collective of organic farmers that have been farming pesticide-free since the early 90's. The cotton is then shipped by the bale to spinning mills in North Carolina and South Carolina, where it goes through the spinning process to produce yarn. Once the yarn is ready, it goes to the knitters dispersed throughout the Carolinas where it's knit into unfinished material. The material are then sent to finishers (also located in the US) to be converted into finished fabric. Every worker throughout the process is being paid fair wages.
FUN FACT: Our organic line is lightened with a citrus scour and are non-radioactive and heavy metal free. The fiber-reactive dyes are part of a closed-loop system, preventing any toxic substances from being released into the external environment and allowing unfixed dye and water to be recycled.
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CONCLUSION
We are thankful to be the final step in a long line of ethical and sustainable work. Once the tshirts are made, they are printed on in our headquarters in McCook Lake, South Dakota. We hope you wear your Nature Supply Co gear with pride! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.