OUR COMMITMENTS
Everything we do at Aspiga comes down to three things – people, the planet, and positive change.
DOING RIGHT BY THE PLANET
DOING RIGHT BY PEOPLE
SUPPORTING POSITIVE CHANGE
OUR SUSTAINABILITY ROADMAP
2005 - HOW WE STARTED
Lucy, Founder & Director of Aspiga fell in love with the artistry and craftsmanship she discovered the locals making whilst on holiday in Kenya. She knew right away that she had found something truly special that needed to be shared with the world.
Aspiga started out by selling handcrafted belts and sandals made in Kenya to boutiques and department stores around Europe.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
We provided our Kenyan sandal supplier with a loan to enable her to buy an expensive piece of equipment to cut the soles of the sandals. Previously these had to be cut individually by hand. Not only has this saved time but it has also allowed the company to take on much larger orders from both ourselves and other companies.
2005 - HOW WE STARTED
Lucy, Founder & Director of Aspiga fell in love with the artistry and craftsmanship she discovered the locals making whilst on holiday in Kenya. She knew right away that she had found something truly special that needed to be shared with the world.
Aspiga started out by selling handcrafted belts and sandals made in Kenya to boutiques and department stores around Europe.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
We provided our Kenyan sandal supplier with a loan to enable her to buy an expensive piece of equipment to cut the soles of the sandals. Previously these had to be cut individually by hand. Not only has this saved time but it has also allowed the company to take on much larger orders from both ourselves and other companies.
2010 - EXPANDED TO INDIA
As we grew, we decided to start sourcing sandals and clutch bags from India, to spread our risk.
We started working with two small family-run businesses, who met all our criteria on labour standards, health and safety, the environment and business ethics. We still work with the same two suppliers today!
2010 - EXPANDED TO INDIA
As we grew, we decided to start sourcing sandals and clutch bags from India, to spread our risk.
We started working with two small family-run businesses, who met all our criteria on labour standards, health and safety, the environment and business ethics. We still work with the same two suppliers today!
2015 - ASPIGA BEACH
We launched a small beachwear line made from vibrant stock fabric from our suppliers in Kenya.
As we continued to grow, we then decided to place larger orders with our existing family-run suppliers in India and slowly increased the line and order quantities.
2015 - ASPIGA BEACH
We launched a small beachwear line made from vibrant stock fabric from our suppliers in Kenya.
As we continued to grow, we then decided to place larger orders with our existing family-run suppliers in India and slowly increased the line and order quantities.
2016 - SUPPORTING OUR SUPPLIERS
Our focus was on driving positive change across our business and beyond, which began by supporting the owner of our belt supplier in Kenya. We gave him a loan so he could expand his business and build a workshop.
Before they were working on tables under trees so it was impossible to work in wet conditions. This has made a big difference to his business as he is now able to take on larger orders.
2016 - SUPPORTING OUR SUPPLIERS
Our focus was on driving positive change across our business and beyond, which began by supporting the owner of our belt supplier in Kenya. We gave him a loan so he could expand his business and build a workshop.
Before they were working on tables under trees so it was impossible to work in wet conditions. This has made a big difference to his business as he is now able to take on larger orders.
2018 - SANTANA WOMEN’S GROUP
We have established a sustainable collaboration with Restart Africa, providing work opportunities to their Sanata Women’s Group.
The Sanata Women’s Group (SWG) was set up in 2009 with the aim of employing and empowering the women of Gilgil by utilizing their fine needlework and artistic skills. When it was started, around 45 women were recruited by word of mouth. They were given extra training to develop their skills, and now, around 30 women are recruited on a regular basis. These women are given independence and security in a town with limited opportunities.
We produced our Naisha Soft Sole Sandals with them and all profits made through this project went to fund Restart Africa.
2018 - SANTANA WOMEN’S GROUP
We have established a sustainable collaboration with Restart Africa, providing work opportunities to their Sanata Women’s Group.
The Sanata Women’s Group (SWG) was set up in 2009 with the aim of employing and empowering the women of Gilgil by utilizing their fine needlework and artistic skills. When it was started, around 45 women were recruited by word of mouth. They were given extra training to develop their skills, and now, around 30 women are recruited on a regular basis. These women are given independence and security in a town with limited opportunities.
We produced our Naisha Soft Sole Sandals with them and all profits made through this project went to fund Restart Africa.
2019 - ACHIEVEMENTS
- We continued to work with Kenyan artisans, small suppliers and tribal groups (not large commercial factories), providing them with interest-free loans to improve their working conditions.
- We have moved over to paper mailing bags and paper sticky tape which are fully recyclable and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This certification assures that the wood and forests that our packaging originates from are well-managed and safeguarded for future generations.
- All our garment started coming in 100% compostable cornstarch bags.
- We continued to support Restart Africa in Kenya, an orphanage that provides a loving home to over 110 vulnerable children.
- We started our Beach Clean Up project in Malindi, Kenya, which sponsored a group of Kenyan children to help us collect over 800 baskets of plastic from the beaches near our suppliers.
ACCOLADES
- Voted one of the Top 21 best and most stylish brands by The Daily Telegraph
- Winner of the Cabana and Capsule’s Beach Clean Up Competition, for our dedication to protect and preserve our oceans and beaches.
- Shortlisted for the GWG Ethical Company of the year 2019.
2019 - ACHIEVEMENTS
- We continued to work with Kenyan artisans, small suppliers and tribal groups (not large commercial factories), providing them with interest-free loans to improve their working conditions.
- We have moved over to paper mailing bags and paper sticky tape which are fully recyclable and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This certification assures that the wood and forests that our packaging originates from are well-managed and safeguarded for future generations.
- All our garment started coming in 100% compostable cornstarch bags.
- We continued to support Restart Africa in Kenya, an orphanage that provides a loving home to over 110 vulnerable children.
- We started our Beach Clean Up project in Malindi, Kenya, which sponsored a group of Kenyan children to help us collect over 800 baskets of plastic from the beaches near our suppliers.
ACCOLADES
- Voted one of the Top 21 best and most stylish brands by The Daily Telegraph
- Winner of the Cabana and Capsule’s Beach Clean Up Competition, for our dedication to protect and preserve our oceans and beaches.
- Shortlisted for the GWG Ethical Company of the year 2019.
2020 -FABRICS
We have moved over 90% of our cotton to organic GOTS certified cotton. Where we have been unable to source organic cotton for particular items, we have donated to Water Harvest, a program that provides life-saving water tanks for the most deprived communities in Delhi and Jaipur.
We have also introduced a capsule collection this year made from LENZING viscose which has been certified as compostable and biodegradable as well as being sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests.
We have stopped buying polyester and plastic-based materials throughout the entire Aspiga Collection.
PACKAGING
We have removed all plastic packaging from our garments and footwear
Our clothing now comes in new garment bags made from 100% cornstarch. These bags are 100% compostable as they are made from vegetables and will naturally break down over time (unlike plastic).
Our product tags are fully recyclable and certified by the FSC.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
We preserved our sandal suppliers’ staff incomes (who had orders cancelled from other brands) by asking them to make face masks for us.
We have sourced our colourful Kenyan sandal bags from the Elimu Sewing Project in Kenya, which supports young women from vulnerable backgrounds, to pursue a two-year training program to learn key skills in the sewing trade. We encourage our customers to reuse these sandal bags.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We have achieved social accreditations from all Aspiga clothing suppliers (SEDEX or SA8000), who have had annual on-site audit visits, to ensure ethical standards are being met within their factories.
COMMITMENT TO ORDERS
Due to a huge drop in sales in March as a result of the pandemic, we had to reduce or cancel some of our pending orders. Once we realised as a business we were going to be okay, we reinstated all our orders or repurposed any left-over material that had yet to be used, into new products.
We also reinstated all orders from the brands we buy from. Ensuring we were acting responsibly and that not one of our suppliers was left out of pocket.
UPCYCLING INITIATIVES
We repurposed all scrap fabric into sustainable gift bags, scrunchies, face masks, etc. Thus completely reducing any waste in our material manufacturing.
GIVING BACK
We are proud to contribute and donate to a range of organisations whose mission is to make a positive impact on people & the planet. For 2020 some of them include:
- We have paid for the full annual school fees of a group of 12 young volunteers in Kenya, who help with our monthly beach clean-up.
- We donated £4,000 to Bluebells School in Kenya to help pay for teachers’ salaries who have not been paid since March due to the pandemic, to ensure the school can return to normal asap and the teachers don’t leave looking for work.
- For the month of April, we donated the profits from three of our items to the NHS Charities Together Appeal, raising £3,500
- We have donated £1200 to Water Harvest, a program that provides life-saving water tanks for the most deprived communities in Delhi and Jaipur.
- We donated 5% of our online profits on the 2nd of June to three Black Lives Matters Charities; Black Lives Matter Global Network, The Bail Project and the NAACP.
- In December, we donated ALL profits from our ‘Happy T-shirt’ to the Crisis this Christmas charity appeal.
- We donated ALL profits from our ‘Box of Dinosaur Socks’ to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to help protect endangered species.
- We have pledged to donate 10% of profits from all our Alpine jumpers sold in December and January to Crisis.
CARBON OFFSET PROGRAMS
This year we partnered with CarbonClick, enabling consumers to purchase carbon credits at checkout. These go directly to supporting gold standard verified carbon offset projects such as forest restoration, tree planting and renewable energy projects around the world. This initiative started in October and has already been used by over 150 customers offsetting over 110,429lb of carbon.
OFFICE RECYCLING
We were unhappy with the waste and recycling service offered by our landlord and the local council so have signed up to a fully integrated recycling service from First Mile (thefirstmile.co.uk) so that all of our office waste is being recycled and not sent to landfill.
2020 -FABRICS
We have moved over 90% of our cotton to organic GOTS certified cotton. Where we have been unable to source organic cotton for particular items, we have donated to Water Harvest, a program that provides life-saving water tanks for the most deprived communities in Delhi and Jaipur.
We have also introduced a capsule collection this year made from LENZING viscose which has been certified as compostable and biodegradable as well as being sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests.
We have stopped buying polyester and plastic-based materials throughout the entire Aspiga Collection.
PACKAGING
We have removed all plastic packaging from our garments and footwear
Our clothing now comes in new garment bags made from 100% cornstarch. These bags are 100% compostable as they are made from vegetables and will naturally break down over time (unlike plastic).
Our product tags are fully recyclable and certified by the FSC.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
We preserved our sandal suppliers’ staff incomes (who had orders cancelled from other brands) by asking them to make face masks for us.
We have sourced our colourful Kenyan sandal bags from the Elimu Sewing Project in Kenya, which supports young women from vulnerable backgrounds, to pursue a two-year training program to learn key skills in the sewing trade. We encourage our customers to reuse these sandal bags.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We have achieved social accreditations from all Aspiga clothing suppliers (SEDEX or SA8000), who have had annual on-site audit visits, to ensure ethical standards are being met within their factories.
COMMITMENT TO ORDERS
Due to a huge drop in sales in March as a result of the pandemic, we had to reduce or cancel some of our pending orders. Once we realised as a business we were going to be okay, we reinstated all our orders or repurposed any left-over material that had yet to be used, into new products.
We also reinstated all orders from the brands we buy from. Ensuring we were acting responsibly and that not one of our suppliers was left out of pocket.
UPCYCLING INITIATIVES
We repurposed all scrap fabric into sustainable gift bags, scrunchies, face masks, etc. Thus completely reducing any waste in our material manufacturing.
GIVING BACK
We are proud to contribute and donate to a range of organisations whose mission is to make a positive impact on people & the planet. For 2020 some of them include:
- We have paid for the full annual school fees of a group of 12 young volunteers in Kenya, who help with our monthly beach clean-up.
- We donated £4,000 to Bluebells School in Kenya to help pay for teachers’ salaries who have not been paid since March due to the pandemic, to ensure the school can return to normal asap and the teachers don’t leave looking for work.
- For the month of April, we donated the profits from three of our items to the NHS Charities Together Appeal, raising £3,500
- We have donated £1200 to Water Harvest, a program that provides life-saving water tanks for the most deprived communities in Delhi and Jaipur.
- We donated 5% of our online profits on the 2nd of June to three Black Lives Matters Charities; Black Lives Matter Global Network, The Bail Project and the NAACP.
- In December, we donated ALL profits from our ‘Happy T-shirt’ to the Crisis this Christmas charity appeal.
- We donated ALL profits from our ‘Box of Dinosaur Socks’ to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to help protect endangered species.
- We have pledged to donate 10% of profits from all our Alpine jumpers sold in December and January to Crisis.
CARBON OFFSET PROGRAMS
This year we partnered with CarbonClick, enabling consumers to purchase carbon credits at checkout. These go directly to supporting gold standard verified carbon offset projects such as forest restoration, tree planting and renewable energy projects around the world. This initiative started in October and has already been used by over 150 customers offsetting over 110,429lb of carbon.
OFFICE RECYCLING
We were unhappy with the waste and recycling service offered by our landlord and the local council so have signed up to a fully integrated recycling service from First Mile (thefirstmile.co.uk) so that all of our office waste is being recycled and not sent to landfill.
Goals for 2021
We’re prioritising lowering our emissions and offsetting what can’t be reduced. We pledge to offset all our air business travel, once this starts again.
We will begin our journey to achieve B Corporation certification. B Corporation helps businesses balance purpose and profit and will require us to consider the impact of their decisions on people and the planet.
We will partner with a sustainable sourcing agency so we can continue to make responsible supply chain choices, maintain our supplier relationships, and check everyone we do business with is adhering to the highest ethical and sustainable standards.
We will work closely with the brands we currently sell to enhance their ethical and sustainable contribution.
We will introduce a sustainable swimwear range (ECONYL®), which will be launched in Spring 2021. ECONYL® is made entirely from ocean and landfill waste, such as industrial plastic, fabric scraps from clothing.
We will continue using our voice on all our platforms to share ways to live more sustainably.
ACCOLADES
- Brand of the Year Finalist at the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards 2021.
- Sustainable Initiative of the Year Finalist at the Drapers Footwear Awards 2021 for our beach clean up initiative.
- Highly Commended in the Fashion Category for Best Ethical Brand at the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards 2021
- Shortlisted for CO10 (Common Objective) Leadership Award
- By using Carbon Balanced Paper, Aspiga Ltd has balanced through World Land Trust the equivalent of 36,468kg of carbon dioxide. This support will enable World Land Trust to protect 25,528m2 of critically threatened tropical forest. Presented by Denmaur Paper Media
Goals for 2021
We’re prioritising lowering our emissions and offsetting what can’t be reduced. We pledge to offset all our air business travel, once this starts again.
We will begin our journey to achieve B Corporation certification. B Corporation helps businesses balance purpose and profit and will require us to consider the impact of their decisions on people and the planet.
We will partner with a sustainable sourcing agency so we can continue to make responsible supply chain choices, maintain our supplier relationships, and check everyone we do business with is adhering to the highest ethical and sustainable standards.
We will work closely with the brands we currently sell to enhance their ethical and sustainable contribution.
We will introduce a sustainable swimwear range (ECONYL®), which will be launched in Spring 2021. ECONYL® is made entirely from ocean and landfill waste, such as industrial plastic, fabric scraps from clothing.
We will continue using our voice on all our platforms to share ways to live more sustainably.
ACCOLADES
- Brand of the Year Finalist at the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards 2021.
- Sustainable Initiative of the Year Finalist at the Drapers Footwear Awards 2021 for our beach clean up initiative.
- Highly Commended in the Fashion Category for Best Ethical Brand at the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards 2021
- Shortlisted for CO10 (Common Objective) Leadership Award
- By using Carbon Balanced Paper, Aspiga Ltd has balanced through World Land Trust the equivalent of 36,468kg of carbon dioxide. This support will enable World Land Trust to protect 25,528m2 of critically threatened tropical forest. Presented by Denmaur Paper Media
2022 - ACHIEVEMENTS
Our Fabrics
- 96% of cotton sourced is from either organic or responsibly-sourced cotton. Where we haven't been able to source either fabric, we have donated £1-£2 for each item to WaterHarvest, the India-based water charity, totalling £4,918 to date.
- 76% of forest fibres are repsonsibly sourced. We have invested in the highest level of certification available - Ecovero and Tencel.
- We have established a clear fabric roadmap outlining our strategy up to 2025 and then 20230, which includes sourcing more recycled cotton and researching innovative sustainable fabric alternatives.
- 100% of all synthetic fibres used are recycled, with the mix of recycled synthetics being only 5% of our range
- Our goal was to achieve synthetic fibre content of all fabric blends containing synthetic fibres to be under 20%. Due to difficulties in sourcing, we haven't been able to achieve all synthetic blends under 20%. However, we have achieved all synthetic blends to be under 24%
Circularity
- We have set up supplier programmes to use up surplus and left over material from pattern cutting, upcycling this material into various accessories. In 2022, we introduced new products from our block print supplier, including quilted washbags, hair accessories and reusable face pads, face masks and bags.
- Our goal was to increase awareness of our Thrift+ partnership. Year to date 463 of our customers have purchased our thrift bags, an increase of 58% on last year, meaning that between 1-2 customer per day purchase to donate garments to charity.
- Our goal was to research opportunity to launch 'Aspiga Preloved' initiative. We have sold sample and some fabrics at our Wilton Outlet shop and have collaborated with The Cirkel
- Our goal was to increase our use of recycled fabrics in our collection. Rec ycled fabrics have played a big part in our 2022 collection. In the summer we launched our first own brand range of swimwear which was made from 82% recycled polyester derived from post consumer waste, including used plastic bottles. We also launched our sequin party-wear which was made from 95% recycled sequins.
Packaging
- Zero plastic is used in all Aspiga own brand packaging. We use recycled and biodegradable materials including cornstarch, cassava root and fabric, including paper tape rather than plastic tape. This year we have saved more than 121,814 plastic bags going to landfill. This equals 93,814 bags that have been sent out to customers and 28,000 bags that are holding garments in our warehouse, waiting to be sent out. We have also saved 59,263 large plastic shipping bags as all orders this year were sent out in paper mailing bags.
- Our goal was to collaborate with the external brands we buy to complement our Aspiga collection to transition into plastic free packaging. We worked with our largest jewellery supplier who replaced their plastic packaging with old sari fabric, saving 4,521 small plastic bags. We worked with our largest knitwear supplier, Eribe, to change their plastic packaging to 100% cellulose.
Our carbon footprint
- To help our customers offset their order delivery, we partnered with Carbon Click. In 2022, 3,008 customers purchased credits against their delivery of their orders, meaning we offset 1,844,155 lbs of CO2 in 2022.
- Our goal was to complete our first carbon footprint assessment. In 2022, we have partnered with Future Leap to help us offset and ultimately reduce our carbon emissions. We are committed to looking into every aspect of the business. We have started by focussing on scope 1 and 2. This includes a carbon consumption assessment.
- Our goal was to start setting clear milestones to be carbon neutral by 2025. Future Leap is using the above data to set up a carbon reduction plan for us to use for our next stages in the process. Our goal for scope 2 is achieve carbon neutrality by UNEPs 'Climate Neutral Now' programme by 2025.
- As a brand we are passionate about educating our customers on how to be more sustainable. In 2022, 2,900 customers have requested our free booklet 'A Guide to Living a More Sustainable Life' which shares helpful tips.
Office and shop management
- Our goal was to implement better waste management in retail premises. Our retail stores prioritise the re-use of our cardboard boxes for transporting stock and shop items. IN 2022, we recycled approximately 2,500 cardboard boxes across the year, which equated to 1 tonne of cardboard. This saved 46 gallons of oil and 7,000 tonnes of water.
- Our goal was to transition to zero plastic in our office spaces, with a particular focus on plastic hangers. We partnered with First Mile at HQ and separated all our hard and soft plastics. In 2022, we recycled over 1,750kg of office waste, saving 2 tonnes of CO2 and 18 trees. We no longer use plastic hangers in our stores or HQ.
Charity Initiatives
- We continued to work with all our existing charity partners in Kenya and India, including Elimu Sewing Project, Bluebells school, WaterHarvest,and paying the school fees of the Kenya school children who help with our beach clean in Malindi. Charitable donations in 2022 totalled £11,584 including donations to the Charlie Waller Trust and the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. We increased our orders with the Elimu Sewing Project to include the fabric product bags for our hand-beaded belts. Working with Kenyan mill, Thika, who produce responsibly sourced cotton fabrics to stimulate Kenya's home-grown cotton industry, we produced our first African dress collection with them.
- 15 beach cleans took place in Malindi, Kenya, with help of 12 young volunteers, whose education is paid for by Aspiga. In 2022, we also undertook 3 beach cleans in Conrwall.
- Aspiga teams and volunteers undertook quarterly cleans in Barbadoes and on the river Thames near our London HQ
2022 - ACHIEVEMENTS
Our Fabrics
- 96% of cotton sourced is from either organic or responsibly-sourced cotton. Where we haven't been able to source either fabric, we have donated £1-£2 for each item to WaterHarvest, the India-based water charity, totalling £4,918 to date.
- 76% of forest fibres are repsonsibly sourced. We have invested in the highest level of certification available - Ecovero and Tencel.
- We have established a clear fabric roadmap outlining our strategy up to 2025 and then 20230, which includes sourcing more recycled cotton and researching innovative sustainable fabric alternatives.
- 100% of all synthetic fibres used are recycled, with the mix of recycled synthetics being only 5% of our range
- Our goal was to achieve synthetic fibre content of all fabric blends containing synthetic fibres to be under 20%. Due to difficulties in sourcing, we haven't been able to achieve all synthetic blends under 20%. However, we have achieved all synthetic blends to be under 24%
Circularity
- We have set up supplier programmes to use up surplus and left over material from pattern cutting, upcycling this material into various accessories. In 2022, we introduced new products from our block print supplier, including quilted washbags, hair accessories and reusable face pads, face masks and bags.
- Our goal was to increase awareness of our Thrift+ partnership. Year to date 463 of our customers have purchased our thrift bags, an increase of 58% on last year, meaning that between 1-2 customer per day purchase to donate garments to charity.
- Our goal was to research opportunity to launch 'Aspiga Preloved' initiative. We have sold sample and some fabrics at our Wilton Outlet shop and have collaborated with The Cirkel
- Our goal was to increase our use of recycled fabrics in our collection. Rec ycled fabrics have played a big part in our 2022 collection. In the summer we launched our first own brand range of swimwear which was made from 82% recycled polyester derived from post consumer waste, including used plastic bottles. We also launched our sequin party-wear which was made from 95% recycled sequins.
Packaging
- Zero plastic is used in all Aspiga own brand packaging. We use recycled and biodegradable materials including cornstarch, cassava root and fabric, including paper tape rather than plastic tape. This year we have saved more than 121,814 plastic bags going to landfill. This equals 93,814 bags that have been sent out to customers and 28,000 bags that are holding garments in our warehouse, waiting to be sent out. We have also saved 59,263 large plastic shipping bags as all orders this year were sent out in paper mailing bags.
- Our goal was to collaborate with the external brands we buy to complement our Aspiga collection to transition into plastic free packaging. We worked with our largest jewellery supplier who replaced their plastic packaging with old sari fabric, saving 4,521 small plastic bags. We worked with our largest knitwear supplier, Eribe, to change their plastic packaging to 100% cellulose.
Our carbon footprint
- To help our customers offset their order delivery, we partnered with Carbon Click. In 2022, 3,008 customers purchased credits against their delivery of their orders, meaning we offset 1,844,155 lbs of CO2 in 2022.
- Our goal was to complete our first carbon footprint assessment. In 2022, we have partnered with Future Leap to help us offset and ultimately reduce our carbon emissions. We are committed to looking into every aspect of the business. We have started by focussing on scope 1 and 2. This includes a carbon consumption assessment.
- Our goal was to start setting clear milestones to be carbon neutral by 2025. Future Leap is using the above data to set up a carbon reduction plan for us to use for our next stages in the process. Our goal for scope 2 is achieve carbon neutrality by UNEPs 'Climate Neutral Now' programme by 2025.
- As a brand we are passionate about educating our customers on how to be more sustainable. In 2022, 2,900 customers have requested our free booklet 'A Guide to Living a More Sustainable Life' which shares helpful tips.
Office and shop management
- Our goal was to implement better waste management in retail premises. Our retail stores prioritise the re-use of our cardboard boxes for transporting stock and shop items. IN 2022, we recycled approximately 2,500 cardboard boxes across the year, which equated to 1 tonne of cardboard. This saved 46 gallons of oil and 7,000 tonnes of water.
- Our goal was to transition to zero plastic in our office spaces, with a particular focus on plastic hangers. We partnered with First Mile at HQ and separated all our hard and soft plastics. In 2022, we recycled over 1,750kg of office waste, saving 2 tonnes of CO2 and 18 trees. We no longer use plastic hangers in our stores or HQ.
Charity Initiatives
- We continued to work with all our existing charity partners in Kenya and India, including Elimu Sewing Project, Bluebells school, WaterHarvest,and paying the school fees of the Kenya school children who help with our beach clean in Malindi. Charitable donations in 2022 totalled £11,584 including donations to the Charlie Waller Trust and the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. We increased our orders with the Elimu Sewing Project to include the fabric product bags for our hand-beaded belts. Working with Kenyan mill, Thika, who produce responsibly sourced cotton fabrics to stimulate Kenya's home-grown cotton industry, we produced our first African dress collection with them.
- 15 beach cleans took place in Malindi, Kenya, with help of 12 young volunteers, whose education is paid for by Aspiga. In 2022, we also undertook 3 beach cleans in Conrwall.
- Aspiga teams and volunteers undertook quarterly cleans in Barbadoes and on the river Thames near our London HQ
2023 - GOALS
DOING RIGHT BY PLANET
- Continue to gain transparency on our Carbon footprint and work towards reducing it.
- Increase our sea ship freight to 80% and reduce our air freight to 20% over the collections
- Reduce the carbon footprint of Aspiga collections through: increasing manufacturing options in Europe; reducing manufacturing in Aspiga and the Far East; investigating UK factories for special production runs.
- Introduce product passports for 5-10% of the collection (focusing on block print).
- Continue to work with our supply base to sourve new and innovative fabrics with less impact on the environment.
- Continue our partnership with Carbonclick. This partnership empowers consumers to purchase gold standard carbon credits at checkouts to offset their purchases.
- Continue to protect endangered forest through our partnership with World LAnd Trust, offsetting all our carbon emissions from our printing.
- Improve energy efficiency in stores and HQ through energy saving and waste management initiatives.
- Move away from conventional couriers to a sustainable alternative such as E-Bikes.
- Continue our Beach Cleans across all sites in UK, Barbados and Kenya, inviting customers to take part.
- We will ensure all packaging for Non Aspiga branded products is 100% plastic free. We have removed all plastic from Aspiga own brand packaging and all marketing materials are sustainably sourced.
DOING RIGHT BY PLANET
- Product an Aspiga Mental Health Policy for all staff, working closely with the Charlie Waller Trust.
- Every member of staff to have a sustainable objective for 2023.
- Rollout of staff hardship loans.
CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE
- Increase our orders with the Elimu sewing project in Malindi, Kenya, a charity that sponsors vulnerable young women, equipping them with income generating skills and a sewing trade.
- Continue to work with SOKO Kenya, an ethical clothing manufacturer. They source cotton from Thika Kenya to stimulate Kenya's home-grown cotton industry.
- Communicate clear messages about our B-Corp status and its benefits on social media and increase B-Corp awareness with customers in stores.
- Expand our Sustainable Living Community on Facebook to spread Aspiga's key sustainability messages.
- Continue to share our tips to help our customers to live more sustainably through our How To Live A More Sustainable Life booklet (free at checkout and shops)
2023 - GOALS
DOING RIGHT BY PLANET
- Continue to gain transparency on our Carbon footprint and work towards reducing it.
- Increase our sea ship freight to 80% and reduce our air freight to 20% over the collections
- Reduce the carbon footprint of Aspiga collections through: increasing manufacturing options in Europe; reducing manufacturing in Aspiga and the Far East; investigating UK factories for special production runs.
- Introduce product passports for 5-10% of the collection (focusing on block print).
- Continue to work with our supply base to sourve new and innovative fabrics with less impact on the environment.
- Continue our partnership with Carbonclick. This partnership empowers consumers to purchase gold standard carbon credits at checkouts to offset their purchases.
- Continue to protect endangered forest through our partnership with World LAnd Trust, offsetting all our carbon emissions from our printing.
- Improve energy efficiency in stores and HQ through energy saving and waste management initiatives.
- Move away from conventional couriers to a sustainable alternative such as E-Bikes.
- Continue our Beach Cleans across all sites in UK, Barbados and Kenya, inviting customers to take part.
- We will ensure all packaging for Non Aspiga branded products is 100% plastic free. We have removed all plastic from Aspiga own brand packaging and all marketing materials are sustainably sourced.
DOING RIGHT BY PLANET
- Product an Aspiga Mental Health Policy for all staff, working closely with the Charlie Waller Trust.
- Every member of staff to have a sustainable objective for 2023.
- Rollout of staff hardship loans.
CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE
- Increase our orders with the Elimu sewing project in Malindi, Kenya, a charity that sponsors vulnerable young women, equipping them with income generating skills and a sewing trade.
- Continue to work with SOKO Kenya, an ethical clothing manufacturer. They source cotton from Thika Kenya to stimulate Kenya's home-grown cotton industry.
- Communicate clear messages about our B-Corp status and its benefits on social media and increase B-Corp awareness with customers in stores.
- Expand our Sustainable Living Community on Facebook to spread Aspiga's key sustainability messages.
- Continue to share our tips to help our customers to live more sustainably through our How To Live A More Sustainable Life booklet (free at checkout and shops)