Sustainability

We’ll never pretend like making clothes is sustainable. We know it’s quite the opposite.

Unless you’re repurposing deadstock materials or selling vintage, it’s inevitable that via production, or when garments reach the end of their life, you’ll most likely be contributing to further waste.

With that said, we take our responsibility to minimise our impact where possible seriously as we endeavour to get better each season.

We look at sustainability through three lenses:

PRODUCT
TRANSPORT
AFTERLIFE

At each stage, we’re taking measures to operate ethically and responsibly to ensure our net impact will be a more positive one.

While we’re far from where we need to be, we’re committed to doing better with each new collection. Here’s how we’re making progress:

PRODUCT

Production

We balance supply and demand above all else, reducing excess production and reliance on discounted products to move stock. Less is more.

We produce in various countries offshore, allowing for better pricing and a more extensive product offering for customers.

In some cases we will need to put products on sale, but as we grow and satisfy supplier demands we endeavour to mitigate this further.

Design

We strive to avoid fast fashion trends, designing timeless, versatile products under our ethos of continual refinement.

We endeavour for quality and durability, ensuring our products wash, wear and age gracefully.

We pride ourselves on repeating existing styles and limiting new product development, doing our best to balance commercial viability with slower fashion cycles.

We ask you to please diligently read wash and care instructions, ensuring garments are looked after as intended. This will help us live up to the promise of durability.

TRANSPORT

Packaging

We work with companies like One Sustainable Planet and No Issue, packaging our products in sustainable, biodegradable garment bags and tissue paper.

Our boxes and packaging tape (adhesive-free) are made intentionally from recycled, premium materials. We hope you find them beautiful enough to re-use.


Returns

To our customers, we urge you to select carefully, read size charts or message us for any sizing issues to reduce unnecessary returns rates. We promise our response time is fast, especially on Instagram.

AFTERLIFE

How you can help

It’s inevitable that the lifespan of your products will one day come to a near end. At this point we ask you to donate them to someone less fortunate, gift it to a younger sibling or cousin, turn it into a cleaning rag or take it to a textile recycling centre.


Our sustainable initiatives & partnerships

We have partnered with ONE TREE PLANTED, contributing $1 for each sale to their sustainability initiatives. On behalf of our customers, our donations go towards New Zealand forestry, planting native trees like Kauri and Pōhutukawa. Find out more here.

Additionally, Porter James Sports is proud to partner with USEDFULLY®, a New Zealand based low carbon clothing system, where textiles are utilised to their full potential. Through technology and cutting edge research, USEDFULLY® have developed innovative solutions, like this one that turns wasted fabrics into usable roading. Find out more here.

If you have any further questions about our efforts or business operations please get in touch support@porterjamessports.com


Thanks for your continued support.