Blog | Cuts Clothing

CUTS Clothing | CUTS x EcoCart Partnership

Today marks a momentous occasion for us.  Not only are we launching our first ever 100% natural fiber line with the new [Pima Cotton Collection](https://www.cutsclothing.com/collections/pima-cotton), but we’re also taking our first step as a business towards a more sustainable future. For quite some time, we’ve been discussing internally about how we can make Cuts a more Earth-conscious, carbon-neutral brand.  This is no small task, and it's something we’re taking very seriously.  In fact, 'BECOME KNOWN FOR SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH PRODUCT AND PROCESS’ is one of our five primary business initiatives over the next year (and beyond).

The fashion industry is a top contributor to the warming of our planet and the depletion of its resources. Yearly, fashion is responsible for 10% of humanity's carbon output. There are many components of the apparel industry that need to be addressed when working towards the goal of zero net emissions. Everything from fabric sourcing, garment manufacturing, transportation throughout the supply chain, product packaging, and shipping to the end customer (you), the list goes on. We recognize this and are making strides towards being cautious of our carbon footprint for you, our customers, and for our planet.

As a first step in becoming a more sustainable brand, we will be offsetting the carbon emissions required to transport our clothing from our manufacturer to the warehouse and then to your doorstep. In order to do this, we’re partnering up with EcoCart, a company that helps e-commerce brands offset their carbon emissions by planting trees and ultimately sequestering carbon through reforestation efforts.

For our initial launch, with every order including a Pima Cotton shirt we will be planting trees to offset the order's transportation emissions.  Additionally, from here forward we will be offsetting _**all**_ of our bulk shipments coming from our manufacturer en route to our North American warehouse.

So how does it work?

Using an EPA backed equation, we calculate the amount of carbon emissions that it takes to get your package to your doorstep, and then we plant the necessary amount of trees needed to offset those emissions. Our tree planting factors in the distance the package travels (from Cuts warehouse to your doorstep), the weight of the package and the mode of transportation used for delivery. The resulting amount is the total carbon emitted, from which we will plant enough trees to offset those emissions. Typically, domestic deliveries will be 1 tree per shipment and international deliveries will be 2-3 trees per shipment, depending on the weight of the package.

For this initiative, we will be working alongside EcoCart to plant mangrove trees in Madagascar. Mangroves are one of the most effective and economic methods of offsetting carbon emissions. Studies show that Mangroves thrive with high carbon intake and are able to filter CO2 at a rate far greater than mature tropical forests. Each tree removes 680 lbs of CO2 in its lifetime. The areas in which we plant are carefully selected to ensure that alongside reducing atmospheric carbon, we are also aiding in poverty alleviation by giving jobs to locals in need who can support your planting efforts.

This is only the first step in our commitment to becoming a completely carbon neutral brand.  We’re incredibly excited to get started and more importantly to check off this first box on our long list of sustainability initiatives. Over the course of the year, you’ll be hearing more from us as we progress through our sustainability roadmap. 

Together, we can make a better way to shop online.