The term “Sustainable” has been commonly used as a marketing trend. What makes a brand “sustainable”? We believe that transparency is essential to helping people make informed purchasing decisions. From sourcing materials, manufacturing, to shipping - we are going to dive deeper into understanding the criteria that makes a product sustainable, how fütz socks measure up to those standards, and share our plans for the future.
Demystifying the term “sustainability”
What does it mean for a brand to be “sustainable”? A sustainable brand is one that has a purpose that goes beyond profit, instead seeking to increase the wellbeing of humanity and all life on our planet. Sustainability is a balance between the financial, humanitarian, and environmental factors. It understands the lifecycle and environmental impact of all its activities, so that it can seek to continuously innovate and reduce its impact to a minimum.
Our best practices with sustainability in mind
We understand the importance of using purchasing power mindfully. That is why we take extra precautions to ensure we are doing our part in reducing our impact on the tons of textile waste disposed of in landfills every year. Here’s how we do it:
Transparency in our Manufacturing Procedure
fütz socks are knit in China with thoughtful consideration, using traditional craftsmanship and the finest natural fibers, such as premium long staple combed cotton, bamboo rayon, and Italian cashmere blend. Using natural fibers allows our socks to be biodegradable, and helps us minimize our impact on the environment. Our sustainable yarns are sourced from UPW, suppliers of Organic cotton with recycled polyester yarn. UPW has been inspected and assessed in accordance with the Organic Content Standard (OCS). One certificate is for organic cotton to prove Organic Content Standard (OCS), and the other is for recycled polyester that follows the Global recycled standard.
When it comes to our performance and expressive collections, in order for us to have the right fit and pattern, our socks are knitted with nylon and spandex combined with natural fibers. Spandex is needed for stretch, and nylon is needed to maintain vibrant colours and patterns. Also, our performance socks are made with Nilit Aquarius, a high performance yarn engineered to wick away moisture. Nilit Aquarius fibers are made of nylon and spandex for maximum moisture wicking properties. Because nylon is technically not a sustainable fibre, we launched our organic cotton and recycled polyester socks to replace the use of nylon on our solid colored socks. Our team is constantly looking for ways to reduce the overall impact of the textile industry on the environment.
Our Packaging
When it comes to our packaging, our sock tags are printed on non-coated paper, which is recyclable, and we use yarn stitch instead of plastic tacks on most socks to hold socks in place. However due to the thickness limitation, we do use plastic tacks on little tags as well as on our Performance socks. When socks are sent to customers, no plastics are being used.
Reducing the Impact of Textile Waste in Landfills
To further reduce our impact, we launched our fütz Recycled program where you can send us your old socks to ensure that they are being recycled responsibly. We are always working towards finding ways to help reduce contributing to the millions of tons of textile waste piling up in landfills. Let us find a new life for your socks by donating them to be reused, recycled or even upcycled. Learn more about how you can join our sock recycling program.
Want To Learn More?
If you’ve enjoyed learning about our commitment to the environment, we encourage you to explore the fütz Recycled section to learn more about it. All fütz socks are created with mindful consideration, helping you feel and look great every day of the week! We aim to continue to refine our production and distribution process to come closer to being a 100% sustainable brand.