AS Colour Is Creating a More Sustainable Future for Fashion Workers and Consumers Alike

The fashion industry isn’t known for sustainability. With the rise of fast fashion, brands across the globe have been looking for faster, cheaper, and easier ways to fulfill consumers’ desire for more and more clothing. That means cheaper, under- or unregulated workforces, and more environmentally damaging products and processes used in production.

According to McKinsey, the fashion industry as a whole emits about the same quantity of greenhouse gasses per year as  the entire economies of France, Germany,  and the United Kingdom combined. 

Climate change is only a piece of the pollution puzzle. Nearly every part of the fashion and apparel supply chain impacts the environment, from raw material production and processing to dyeing, shipping, distribution, and sales. 

But all of that is starting to change. As consumers have become more aware of the socially and environmentally damaging practices used by some of the larger brands in the fashion industry, they’re turning toward more socially conscious brands who keep sustainability in mind at every step of the journey. 

That’s where BigCommerce customer AS Colour comes in. 

What is AS Colour? 

AS Colour was founded in 2005 by Lawrence Railton. Originally, the brand supplied high-quality blanks (blank t-shirts and other apparel) to bands, labels, and producers making merch for artists. Since then, AS Colour has expanded from its humble roots in New Zealand to three new countries and markets, including the US, UK, and Australia. 

Quality and sustainability have always been a core value for AS Colour. “From the very beginning, doing the right thing was really important for us as a brand,” said Joe Sharplin, Head of Design at AS Colour. “We’ve always tried to do the best that we can, whether that’s through production, the materials we use, or auditing factories.”

Brands like AS Colour know that sustainability isn’t just a buzzword to put into marketing materials. Instead, they view sustainability as doing what’s right for not just the environment, but also for their customers. 

“Another part of that is taking pride in ourselves and the quality of the apparel we produce. We see sustainability as key to AS Colour and what we do,” he continued. 

How is AS Colour helping create a more sustainable future?

Environmentally friendly packaging and manufacturing makes all the difference. 

Over the last decade, consumer preferences have shifted drastically, especially when it comes to sustainability. A survey by McKinsey found that, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, a vast majority of consumers have shifted toward more sustainable, environmentally friendly practices. This includes more than 65% of individuals surveyed who stated that they go out of their way to purchase products in environmentally friendly packaging. 

“The apparel industry is seen as one of the big contributors to pollution,” Sharplin said, “and that’s unfortunate. So I think when you are an apparel brand, the best thing to do — and the right thing to do — is to try and do the best you can.” 

One of the easiest ways for fashion brands to, as Sharplin put it, “do the best they can,” is by producing high-quality products that last for years to come. “Quality is key to that,” he explained. “If you create high-quality clothing with a good lifetime to it, that product’s going to stay around longer. It’s not going to end up in a landfill in a year’s time, making a customer go out to buy another shirt to replace it.” 

“Another great thing we do is minimize plastic in our supply chain as much as possible,” he continued. “We don’t use any plastic for swing tagging. We don’t use plastic tape on our boxes. We don’t plastic wrap any of our products that come from factories. And we use as much recyclable product as we can. We are, or are very nearly, plastic-free in our supply chain right now, which is awesome.” 

While Sharplin understands that while it’s not easy for businesses to put the environment first in their business, he also knows that it’s an attainable goal as long as there’s the right mindset to back it up. “It’s a challenge, sure, but there are things that businesses can do to minimize the damage their products do to the planet. We really pride ourselves on doing that as much as possible,” he explained. 

Putting people first. 

Sustainability has a few different meanings when it comes to the fashion industry. Many associate sustainable practices with production and manufacturing. But with that view, the people involved in these processes are often overlooked. 

That, too, is starting to change. McKinsey found that 55% of respondents to their recent Consumer Sentiment on Sustainability in Fashion survey had factory workers at the front of their minds, naming “Care for Health of Employees” as the number one priority when it comes to consumer expectations for brands. 38% of respondents stated that their next highest priority was for brands to contribute to helping low-paid workers in factories in Asia. 

To that point, AS Colour is working hard to ensure that the facilities it uses for production not only comply with high-quality working standards, but exceed them. 

“Since the very beginning, doing the right thing within the apparel space has always been important to the owner. He’s really championed these practices since day one,” Sharplin said. “Today we’re proud to be aligned with many global sustainability compliance initiatives, and partner with groups who have a huge impact in factories.” 

One of those groups is Reemi, a New Zealand-based organization that is passionate about showing care and hospitality through one of the most stigmatized issues in the world. Since its founding in 2017, Reemi has strived to help the women working in the fashion industry navigate ‘period poverty.’

“Their whole mission is to provide health education and period products for women who work in factories in countries where women’s health might be a taboo subject,” Sharplin said. “They go to different countries and help provide education for women that may not be able to get it elsewhere. They’re really doing some amazing work.”  

The final word

While the fashion and apparel industries are contributors to climate change and unsustainable farming and production practices, there is a sea change occurring within the industry. Many brands and producers are aware of their negative impacts on the environment. This is causing them to look for more sustainable ways to produce, package, ship, and sell their goods. 

While many brands are just now moving toward this sustainable approach, AS Colour has strived to create better supply chain and production practices for its apparel since its inception in 2005. Not only that, but they work hard to improve conditions in factories for workers, as well. With brands like AS Colour paving the way for a more sustainable future, hopefully these practices can become the norm within the industry rather than impressive outliers. 

Want to learn more about AS Colour’s journey with BigCommerce? Read the full case study here.