Each year, over 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used around the world - and that’s on top of the hundreds of trillions already out there. On average, a single-use plastic bag will be used for just 12-minutes, and then take up to 1,000 years to break down. Of these 5 trillion plastic bags, an estimated 300 million of them will end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone, further contributing to the almost 165 million tonnes of plastic already suffocating the world's oceans.

As lovers of the ocean and the surf lifestyle it affords us, we’ve switched our plastic bags to compostable cornstarch alternatives. These are biodegradable and carbon-neutral, breaking down in just a matter of months once disposed of. Resistant to oils, moisture and odours, cornstarch packaging requires no chemicals or coatings and uses food-grade byproducts that would otherwise go unused.

This helps us reduce our carbon footprint and minimise the amount of plastic entering already fragile ecosystems, while still keeping our apparel and products well protected during transit and delivery - all thanks to the humble sweetcorn plant, which itself is a renewable source that uses 65% energy to be produced than its petroleum-based counterparts.

Critical is committed to our clothing be produced in a safe environment free of animal cruelty and child labour. None of our products - including garment dyes - are tested on animals. Our main factory in Bangladesh has a garment licence approved by local government authorities. That licence is compliant with international standards and audited by independent audit firms and Critical Slide staff based in Bangladesh. We keep a close relationship with our factory staff - they’re our mates, and we want to keep them happy and healthy!