Reformation’s Earth Day sustainability report reveals the company’s latest initiatives designed to reduce, reuse and recycle.
For one, a partnership with Arcadia Power, a clean energy company that optimizes home energy usage, has enrolled 586 users to date. That’s the equivalent of taking 680 cars off the road for a year, according to Reformation.
The sustainably-minded company has also teamed with NativeEnergy, which sells carbon offsets or “Climate Credits” that help counteract an individual’s carbon footprint by funding CO2 reduction projects across the globe. So far, 720 metric tons of carbon offsets have been purchased through the Reformation website.
The brand’s first project with NativeEnergy is designed to provide clean drinking water to families in Honduras, while also reducing emissions. The program funds efforts to distribute water filters, eliminating the need to sanitize water through boiling (and the need to cut down trees for firewood). The program hopes to not only reduce CO2 emissions by 100,000 metric tons, but to tackle a regional health issue by serving 2,200 families 205 million liters of clean water by the end of the year.
On the reusing front, Reformation has partnered with Osomtex to upcycle fabric scraps from the brand’s factory in Los Angeles. So far, Osmotex has recycled 12,513 pounds of fabric waste into new yarns and fabrics through a mechanical process that the company claims uses no water, dyes or chemicals. That’s the equivalent of saving 284,796 pounds of CO2, according to Reformation’s report.
Partnerships with Rent the Runway and ThredUp (along with Reformation’s own clothing salvage programs, Ref Vintage and Ref Recycling) have allowed the brand to recycle or reuse 66,119 garments so far this year. Reformation claims that it’s on track to save more than 200,000 garments from becoming landfill waste by the end of the year—more than doubling its initial goal. Along with saving 41 metric tons of waste so far, the effort has also saved 522 metric tons of CO2 and one million gallons of water.
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Reformation also announced the launch of a new linen line on Monday, touting the material’s “super sustainable” properties. Made from the flax plant, the brand claims that linen requires nearly 75 percent less water than cotton to grow, and also emits 75 percent less carbon per pound of fiber than cotton. The linen is sourced from non-GMO farms in Europe and processed without the use of harmful chemicals, the brand said in a statement.
The new linen collection will include dresses, jumpsuits and two-piece ensembles priced from $98-$248.
Through all of these first quarter efforts, Reformation claims that it saved 46 percent more CO2 than most clothing companies in the U.S., at 1,077 metric tons. Those savings are still outpaced by the brand’s own footprint, though, which it says was 1,334 metric tons of CO2 this past quarter. The brand claims carbon neutrality because of the purchase and promotion of carbon offsets.
Reformation has excelled in water conservation, too, saving a total of 44 million gallons through efforts surrounding upcycling innovations. According to the report, that’s 72 percent more water savings than a typical American clothing brand.
While Reformation generated 101 metric tons of waste this past quarter, it saved 107 metric tons, making the company’s waste impact a bit better than neutral, which is still 51 percent more savings than the national average for apparel brands.
This quarter, Reformation plans on developing environmental impact standards for its supply chain partners, details for which are expected in a forthcoming report.