The Environment, Waste Minimisation & Sustainability
We have always believed that the single biggest impact we can make to the environment, to minimise all waste, not just own, and to increase sustainability is to extend the life of textile products for as long as possible.
Our Scottish Mountain Gear business unit was first established as Tent Repair Service in 1983. Through carrying out quality repairs, maintenance and the proper cleaning of products we are able to extend their 'life cycle' by an average of 55%. We are in a unique position in the textile marketplace to do this, servicing the needs of leading clothing brands, retailers and direct customers. When a product does reach the end of its useful life the Scottish Mountain Gear team harvest components for use in other repairs and can often re-cycle and re-use some of the fabrics involved.
For new products supplied through our Image Scotland business unit we work with performance clothing and textile manufacturers who, similar to ourselves, have the environment at the forefront of their minds with all decisions which they take. Garments for personalisation, in particular where cotton can be a major constituent component, are primarily sourced from brands who comply with WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production) and OEKO-TEX® standards. In all ranges where it is possible to offer organic cotton clothing we do and have done so for over thirty years.
We recognise that our packaging needs to strike a balance in being necessary to protect our products and being sustainable. We use cartons made from recycled board and overwhelmingly paper or biodegradable bags. Our preference and recommended methodology is, quite simply, to avoid individual product packaging especially with bulk garment supplies.
Our own energy usage is minimised, primarily through the efficient use of technology and continual investment in new efficient machinery, very low energy lighting and efficient heating systems in all of our buildings.
We produce relatively low quantities of waste which is constantly monitored. The majority of our waste is sorted by us and then recycled.
Our policy on travel is to question the need for each trip. We recognise the human and commercial importance of meeting others in person and in welcoming visitors to see the range of sustainable services we provide. We host the majority of our business meetings by telephone or video-conference and have done so for many years.
We believe the measures we have taken over the past four decades have been good for our part of the environment in reducing our impact. We're never complacent and whenever an opportunity arises we make changes to ensure our operations are as sustainable as possible and above all to extend the life of products which we supply or service.