Weird Fish partners with Green Story to improve eco transparency

UK-based clothing brand, Weird Fish, has partnered with sustainability platform Green Story to add environmental impact indicators to its website, increasing transparency with customers about the positive environmental impact of its products.

Customers will be able to observe Weird Fish’s positive environmental impact, such as how much has been saved in car emissions, drinking water, lightbulb electricity, and land pesticide usage as a result of a product switching from regular to organic cotton.

The positive effect measurements are available on the brand’s website for its organic cotton collection, with Weird Fish stating that the initiative will be expanded to include bamboo, linen, and recycled polyester in the future.

John Stockton, managing director at Weird Fish, said that customer openness is vital in every sustainable journey, particularly as greenwashing continues to be an ongoing issue. They’ve always been upfront with their clients about the fact that they’re not a 100% sustainable company; instead, they highlight the activities that help them meet realistic goals each year.

Stockton added that for instance, by the end of 2021, they hope to have made 55% of their ranges more sustainable, with the goal of increasing that to 90% by 2026. Their metrics are in place to encourage greener shopping habits and increase the adoption of their more sustainable product lines.

Green Story has calculated the metrics following a rigorous life cycle review of 1 kilogram of completed Weird Fish organic cotton goods and how it compared to conventional fibers.

The company calculated the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, primary energy demand, and blue water consumption saved by Weird Fish products from the time the cotton is harvested until it arrives at the brand’s warehouse, calculating the volume of greenhouse gas emissions, primary energy demand, and blue water consumption saved by the clothing brand’s production.

For example, the positive impact of Weird Fish’s Starshine organic cotton printed jersey dress is 13.4 kilometers of driving emissions avoided, 507.7 days of drinking water saved, 1,221.8 hours of bulb energy saved, and 2.8 square meters of the land saved from harmful pesticides by using organic and recycled fibers.

Stockton added that relatable measurements are crucial to enabling customers clearly perceive the impact of switching their products from regular to organic cotton. They don’t just focus on carbon dioxide savings; they also compare them to automobile trips and drinking water to give a better sense of scale. The Green Story platform will also assist them in determining how they might make additional beneficial improvements inside their supplier chain, so will form a key part of their sustainability journey.

Weird Fish has replaced conventional cotton yarns with organic cotton yarns whenever possible during the last two years, as part of its ‘The Only Way Is Ethics’ sustainability strategy, which was established in 2019. Organic cotton production utilizes 88% less water and 62% less energy than conventional cotton and avoids the use of hazardous pesticides on average.

Weird Fish has achieved a 5% reduction in blue water consumption on average across all of its supply networks, according to Green Story, when compared to the global conventional cotton supply chain.

Weird Fish is a multi-channel retailer with 15 branded stores, 300 stockists, and an online channel that sells apparel and accessories for men and women.