Stepping Towards Sustainability
From our clothing to our packaging, we’re taking steps toward a more sustainable approach that’s better for business, and the world.
Every Footprint Is a Number
At Critical Slide, we’re keeping things plant-based, organic and recycled, for the sake of the planet. To keep plastic out of the ocean, we swapped out our plastic-poly packaging for bags made of compostable cornstarch. For the atmosphere, we’ve done away with petrochemicals to make all our wetsuits from plant-based Yurex. For our soil, we’re keeping organic cotton, polyester and nylon offcuts out of landfill by producing most of our tees and boardies from recycled materials.
We’re not sacrificing quality, either - it’s better. Season by season, we’re taking steps toward becoming a more sustainable brand that respects the environment, making your next purchase one you can feel good about.
Sustainability
Bagging up on Plastics
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.
Materials
We’ve Cottoned On
It takes roughly 2,700L of water to produce enough cotton to make just one t-shirt. That’s a lot. Put in perspective, this is 900 days worth of drinking water for a single adult, 198 flushes of the average toilet or 33 full daily baths. Now multiply that one t-shirt by 1,000 and you have enough water to fill an Olympic swimming pool. Yikes.
We get that most of this is ‘borrowed’ water that returns to the water cycle, but it’s still a problem. This process displaces natural water distribution, depriving one area for another and potentially carrying pesticides and pollution along the way. It’s a vicious cycle.
To improve sustainability, we use 100% recycled cotton yarn off-cuts and leftovers. These are expertly re-milled to create new fabric that makes up over 60% of all of our tees, saving it from landfill and reducing our reliance on additional water-hungry cotton. Better still, this re-milled cotton not only feels great against your skin but gives your conscience a sweet little tickle too!
Ethics
First, Do No Harm
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!
Looking to the Future
With each season, we aim to improve one aspect of our business for the better. From off-setting more and more of our freight transport footprint to using recycled and sustainable materials, small changes can make big differences.
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