A Conversation About Trees

Sometimes I have to psyche myself up to listen to podcasts about the fashion industry; fearing the content will leave me feeling guilty, hopeless and fearful.

The Wardrobe Crisis Ep 140: A Conversation about Trees with Canopy’s Nicole Rycrof, was surprisingly uplifting.

 

Don’t get me wrong, there was still some very unpalatable information to digest. Did you know that 3 billion trees are cut down every year to make packaging? And that roughly 30-40% of the wood pulp used for fibre and packaging comes from ancient and endangered forests?

Forests are not just vital habitats for wildlife and indigenous populations. Forests clean the air, they filter water and even help reduce the spread of disease. When you start learning about the myriad of vital functions that forests play in maintaining natures equilibrium it becomes alarmingly clear how critical they are to not just our health but our survival.

Somehow, Nicole (who, not insignificantly started Canopy from her kitchen table with less than $2000) manages to convey the seriousness of the problem facing our forests with joy and hope, not despair and anger. She truly loves the forests and she truly believes that people can, and will save them.

“No-one wants to join the army of the glum” - Nicole Rycroft

I came away from this podcast with a renewed determination and belief that many small actions can and will make a big impact.

When I’m feeling like this I like to set an immediate goal; so my small but achievable goal for the week was to start taking cutlery and straws out with me and the kids and to take my own reusable cloth in a plastic bag rather than relying on napkins (when it comes down to it, they’re no match for a child anyway). It feels like a small thing but I also know that what it takes is many people doing small things so I will resolutely commit to this goal.

Ainsley x

How Paper Scissors Cloth Protects Our Forests

Fibres

At Paper Scissors Cloth it is important that we source cellulose fibres from a verified supplier with a transparent supply chain. Tencel™ is the trademarked name for lyocell fibres produced by Lenzing AG. Lenzing AG rate highest on Canopy’s Hot Button Report as a leader in the production of viscose and other cellulose based fibres.

Choosing these fibres reduces the risk that wood is sourced from endangered or ancient forests and it also ensures that the process of turning the wood pulp into fibre is done in a responsible manner where chemicals and waste are properly managed. Lenzing AG is also investing in new generation solutions to viscose and lyocell production through the use of already existing waste streams.

Our cellulose fabrics are always of the highest quality because we believe they are a luxury fabric, not an everyday essential. As such they should feel luxurious and made to last. We encourage you to cherish and care for your cellulose fabrics, if you are wondering how best to care for them check out our guide. We never choose fabrics blended with polyester as this degrades their quality and performance, but also impacts their recyclability and biodegradability.

Packaging

We made the decision to go plastic and bio-plastic free for our packaging as we wanted to make the disposal of our packaging as simple and environmentally safe as possible. Therefore we have prioritised packaging that can be curbside recycled AND home composted.

We always choose recycled content where possible, you can read a full breakdown of our packaging here, including what it’s made of and how to dispose of it.  We are currently carrying out a review of our packaging and will be introducing some new and exciting options to further reduce our impact in this area!