People and Planet
The fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater. In the UK an estimated 350,000 tonnes of clothing ends up in landfill every year. This is not sustainable. At Ducky Zebra we're passionate about reducing our environmental impact, working ethically and being transparent. As a small start-up there's always more we can do. If you have any suggestions, please send them our way.
Sustainable production
Meet our manufacturing partner
We're proud to be working with our manufacturing partner, Shine Organic Clothing Company, based in south India. Not only are they highly skilled and GOTS certified, but they're also passionate about creating clothes sustainably. Currently 50% of their power comes from solar energy and soon this will be 85%. They harvest rainwater, which helps to save the groundwater level, and recycle all waste water. Plus, they digitally print all of our fabric. While this is more expensive, it offers a higher quality and uses less water, less energy and less ink compared to screen printing.
All of our clothes are made from
GOTS certified Organic Cotton fabric
Our clothes are made from GOTS certified organic cotton to reduce their environmental impact and ensure fair and safe working conditions. No harmful chemicals are used in the growing of organic cotton, and it emits up to 46% less greenhouse gases than non-organic. GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standards and it is regarded as the world’s leading certification for textiles made from organic fibres. The GOTS certification checks the product is fully organic from start (at the farm) to finish. Plus, unlike other certifications, it also includes important checks around the conditions and rights of the workers.
We want you to buy less
Slow fashion, made to last and pass
We use high quality fabric, have generous sizing and include features like turn-up cuffs to increase longevity. Our unisex clothes are designed to last and pass on to siblings and friends, regardless of the season or gender.
Our factory actively promotes low minimum order quantities, with a 'think big, start small' philosophy. Their approach means we can create small volumes of high quality garments, reducing any potential waste, and allowing us to test and learn as we go.
We keep our packaging plastic-free
Eco packaging
We wrap our clothes in recycled and PH neutral tissue paper before packing them into a recycled and fully recyclable postage bag.
Our swing tags, greeting cards and stickers are also fully recyclable.
And wherever possible we use Royal Mail for delivery.
We are innovative in how we
Reduce waste
Sadly with all clothing brands comes fabric waste. At Ducky Zebra we try and reduce our waste by taking the following steps:
Up-cycle: we work with Wrapkind to up-cycle our pre-production samples into bags, which we can then sell or pass onto our customers
Practically perfect: we have rigorous quality checks, of which 4% of our clothes fail. Often this is because of a small misprint. Rather than sending these items to landfill, we sell them at a discounted rate, as part of our 'practically perfect' programme
Offcuts: Our manufacturing partner sends any non usable fabric end bits to the mills to make recycled yarn.
We're trying to think circular
Return your pre-loved clothes
Our pre-loved programme allows you to recycle your Ducky Zebra clothes by returning them to us. We’ll then pass them onto the Oxford Baby Bank for reuse. In exchange, and as a thank you, we’ll give you 15% off your next purchase. This programme helps reduce the number of clothes that may end up in landfill.
Every time you buy we donate £1 to charity
Our contribution
We’re proud partners of Chance UK. Every time you buy an item of Ducky Zebra clothing we donate £1 to their charity, inclusive of tax.
Chance UK’s vision is for every child in the UK to feel happy about themselves, realise their potential, and be confident in their ability to build a brighter future.
We believe in a transparent supply chain
Here's a list of our partners
- Clothes and fabric design: Emily Bolter Designs
- Manufacturing: Shine Organic Clothing Company
- Up-cycled bags: Wrapkind
- Conversation and FeelIt cards: Happy Confident Company
- Photography: Alexandra Tandy
- Website: The E-commerce Assistant
We're part of
The ethical move
The world is shaped by how we buy and sell: we are trapped in an endless loop of wanting and buying more. Currently, the weight rests on the shoulders of the consumer to break out of this hamster wheel – to ‘vote with their wallet’, to make the ethical choice. But we're missing half of the equation.
By joining the ethical move we, as sellers, pledge to take responsibility, to avoid scare-tactics and market in a transparent and honest way.
"Kindness is one of our core values. It’s part of everything we do, every decision we make, every product we design and every relationship we build. And we feel happier because of it.”
Sally, Founder of Ducky Zebra