Research shows that the textile industry puts the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles into the ocean every year. Ugh, gross.

Foundationals refrains from using virgin plastic throughout our supply chain. In place of virgin plastics, we source biodegradable plant-based alternatives, or recycled polybags whenever possible.

The use of regenerated/recycled materials is a step forward towards achieving circularity in the fashion industry.

Here’s what we’ve managed to incorporate so far:
Kraft mailer packaging - 100% recycled content
Garment labels and hang-tags - 100% recycled material excluding safety pin
Tote bags – 100% recycled cotton & polyester blend

Currently, our team is working towards developing better and more functionality in our delivery packaging – to eliminate single-use packaging from our products.

Our goal is to design re-usable packaging that is lightweight and durable. Even recycled materials deserve more than a New York minute.

At Foundationals, we’re always looking to incorporate innovative materials and ideas into our practices. Let us know how you think we can improve on our packaging here.

Download PDF here.

Download PDF here.

A big part of our mission is to provide you with sustainable, fashion-forward clothing and designs. With that being said, you will find that the majority of our collections are designed with a certain timeless aesthetic in mind – with fashion-forward accents and colors to reflect seasonal changes.

The development process of designing a garment requires many rounds of sampling for fit and quality. At Foundationals, our designers ensure that each sample is tested and fit rigorously before we proceed to the next sampling round.

All office purchases are selected to have recycled, high quality or environmentally friendly properties.

Here’s what we’ve got started on so far:

i) Companywide use of recycled cotton business cards
ii) Companywide paper supplies are made out of at least 70% Post Consumer material
iii) Usage of eco-friendly stationary (Pilot recycled pens, Pilot refillable whiteboard markers)

i) The utilization of natural lighting and conditioning
ii) Recycling all our office-generated waste efficiently
iii) Encouraging zero-waste initiatives iv) Minimizing printing and digitalizing documents whenever possible

Lorem Ipsum

Lorem Ipsum

Keep your products longer and in better shape simply by washing your clothes less. That pair of jeans that you wore once or twice? Don’t wash it just yet.

Choose eco-friendly dry-cleaning locations. Don’t worry, we design almost all of our products to be able to be hand/machine washed at home. (Coats, Jackets, and Specialty fabrics excluded). This is, after all a big part of sustainability to us.

Circularity is big here at Foundationals. We believe in the use of Recycled polyester made out of stuff like recycled plastic bottles and recovered fishing nets. However, we are very aware about the microfiber release that each wash caries.

While we are still figuring out how we can minimize microfiber release, Patagonia has one of the best options on the market.

Click here to learn more.

Not sure what to do when you’ve got a torn garment, something that doesn’t fit, or just something that’s kind of outdated?

Checkout our Guide to Giving your Garments a Second Life right here.

Here are some great places to sell your used stuff at for some extra $: Your local thrift stores, Crossroads Trading, Buffalo Exchange, Depop, Poshmark.

At Foundationals, we believe that these three simple tips will help you reduce your impact whilst preserving the life of your garments.

i) Ironing less (bring your garments into the shower and it’ll release many of your garment’s creases)
ii) Tumble dry less, air/hang dry more
iii) Wash only when you’ve got a full load

By 2050, the Fashion Industry will be responsible for 25% of all carbon emissions around the world. Right behind the oil and automotive industry.

How fashion impacts the environment is largely due to how it is manufactured in the first place. Around 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined by the materials and processes it’s been made with. At Foundationals, we ensure that all our textiles and manufacturing processes comply with the best environmental and social certifications in the world.

Here’s the thing. The world’s most popular fiber – conventionally grown cotton, isn’t very sustainable. Sure, there’s organic cotton which has less of an impact. But does it really? It still takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt. Yeah, that’s equivalent to the amount of club soda needed for twenty-two thousand mojitos. Let’s not get started on pesticides and fertilizer use.

The fashion industry is a laggard. Its highly saturated nature is the reason why the industry has failed to innovate over the past few decades. The only thing that has truly evolved is the emergence of fast fashion. This, paired with the fact that the industry has failed to address the environmental impacts of fashion manufacturing, has resulted in 85% of all apparel produced globally not reused or recycled.

Minimum wages in the global fashion industry are HALF of what can be considered a living wage. The fashion industry has the ability to create large scale social change for millions.

Poorly lit and ventilated factories cause eyestrains and dangerous conditions in factories. 39% of all garment industry workers suffer from eye strain and 41% suffer from exhaustion. When a factory is not well lit and poorly ventilated, it becomes a fire hazard. When sourcing factories we ensure the best conditions – choosing naturally lit and well-conditioned facilities ensuring worker safety.