A Goal for Eco . Making Sustainable Affordable

100% Recycled, Repurposed or Sustainably-sourced by 2030

 

Our beliefs and approach

SABRINAGOH desires to create design pieces to last through the seasons. Our wish is to see customers wearing our clothes ten years on from their purchase date.

At SABRINAGOH, we design every garment with its lifecycle in mind, considering responsibly sourced trim and material. Across our product range of men’s wear, women’s wear, kids, accessories, and bags, it’s our constant mission to maximize comfort and meet the wearer’s needs: our focus on functionality is the first step towards circularity.

 

Our journey: where are we now?

Across the fashion and retail industry value chain, sustainability remains an issue. To this end, we have identified our sustainable priorities and initiatives since 2016 and ongoing. 

We started our brand in 2009 as slow producers and, even after 12 years, are still making conscious quantities and testing for best fit before commencing production. In a market dominated by the convenience of polyester, we take a significant effort in our sourcing journey to choose sustainable materials. We aim to improve our ratio of natural-to-synthetic fibers from 90%-10% currently to 100% recycled, repurposed, or sustainably sourced by 2030, if not sooner.

We are committed to a program to “Close the Loop and Build to Last,” designing for circularity and longevity. Our program initiatives include Product, Research, and Organizational initiatives as follows:

 

Product Initiatives

Sustainable Materials

Since 2016, a significant proportion of our collection has used natural fibers like linen, modal, lyocell, and cotton, which improve biodegradability, breathability, and comfort. To achieve climate-sensitive quality, we explored materials such as Tencel, EcoVero, Solotex, and materials OEKO-TEX® standard. We plan further experiments to recycle synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon to improve the problems presented by their pure form, to achieve no-iron and wrinkle-free qualities. We source from Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, and Indonesia and make it a point to list our material contents to enable consumer choices transparently.

Ruth Flair Dress made in 100% Lenzing Tencel fiber, a renewable and biodegradable fiber derived from wood pulp from sustainably managed forests

Upcycle/Recycle Program

We are experimenting with upcycling unsold clothes, leftover sample fabric, and offcuts into new products to reduce waste in the process of new product creation. The most successful in this program is our face mask range which uses Solotex offcuts, transforming them into a new and relevant product use case.

Repair Program

Our customers can bring their clothes back for repair to extend the garment lifetime, chargeable for a small fee to remunerate workers.

Order On-demand

Order On-Demand is a new addition to the order process to eliminate waste for a sustainable future. It helps us to estimate production quantity better and avoid overproduction. Order On-Demand product range doesn't have the existing stocks available. After receiving your order, we will send the order to our HQ to make. It takes approximately two (2) to eight (8) weeks to produce and deliver the item from your order date. The item will be fulfilled as soon as possible when it is available. If you need the item urgently, please send your request to e-service@sabrinagoh.com.

Sustainable Packaging

Our shopping bags are made in 100% recycled paper since 2010, and we encourage our customers to bring their bags when shopping with us. We extend our efforts to our brand tag, made in 100% recycled paper, eco-friendly biodegradable material.

By 2024, we aim to transition from using single use disposable packaging in our production process to utilizing reusable packaging, and recycle the packaging once it reaches the end of its usable lifespan due to degradation in quality.

Bring Your Own Bag Movement (BYO)

The Bring Your Own Bag Movement (BYO) at SABRINAGOH aims to reduce waste and promote sustainability. To support this goal, the company will begin charging a fee of $0.30 for each paper bag used starting July 1st, 2023. This fee is part of SABRINAGOH's efforts to encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags.

According to our monitoring efforts, nearly 99.5% of orders come with a paper bag that is typically only used once before being discarded due to its material characteristics. We also conducted a survey in 2022 with our customers, we are encouraged that 64.9% of customers citing that they will bring their own bag to shop or willing to pay for a bag if need to.

To help customers adjust to this change, SABRINAGOH will launch the "Weekend BYO Bag Movement" on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting in March 2023.

At SABRINAGOH, we believe that even small changes can have a big impact on the environment. We are committed to doing our part to reduce waste and promote sustainability.

Channel the Resources to Fund Sustainable Initiatives

To support our sustainability initiatives, we are redirecting the funds raised from the $0.30 paper bag fee. Some may question the reason behind the charge, but we want to be transparent and emphasize that the actual cost of the bag is $0.43/ pc and made from recycled paper, customers are not paying full cost of the paper bag. Additionally, we are encouraging customers to bring their own bags and earn 50 reward points, equivalent for the value of $0.50.

Our initiatives include a no virgin plastic initiative, where we are currently in the process of redesign our production and packaging to encourage reuse and recycling. We also offer repair program with complimentary basic alterations, and affordable extensive alteration services to customers. Through these efforts, we aim to extend the lifespan of garments and reduce waste.

By channeling the funds towards sustainability, we take a step towards a more sustainable future for our planet. We appreciate the support of our customers in this endeavour and hope to work together towards a greener future.

Research Initiatives

“Making Sustainable Affordable” Market Research Survey

We ran a research study with our customers to understand the desirability and price point for sustainable materials and eco-friendly product options from SABRINAGOH.  We are encouraged that 43.8% of customers surveyed stated they might spend up to 10% more than usual in fabrication costs on a cotton shirt dress. Continuing, we aim to make our product options sustainable and affordable even at lower price points as compared to conventional materials. We are looking into case studies to optimize product options and price points further. We are also exploring customers’ recycling habits and interest to trade in used / unused clothing to inform how we can extend our upcycling program.

  

Organizational Initiatives

Ethical Production

Besides our small production house in Singapore, we run checks with our production vendors in Guangzhou and Batam to ensure fair working conditions for sewers. 

Employee Upskilling & Training

We owe our success to our employees. To show our gratitude, we have invested in their professional development to achieve personal growth, confidence, and greater effectiveness in their lives and careers. We offer training opportunities, job rotations, specific courses, and training in customer service and workflow digitization, employee coaching, and mentoring. We have sought to build development into the culture of our teams and how managers operate.

Community Support

We have been working closely with different community groups. One of our partners is Hagar Singapore, an international organization serving women and children who have endured extreme abuses. We collaborate with them on various projects to restore broken lives and integrate victims back into society, for example, a silk scarf project to raise funds through proceeds.

 

Through these efforts, we endeavor to take our role as a fashion producer in the ecosystem seriously and to participate in the progress of the circular economy, starting from our operations in Singapore through small but concrete steps. We are grateful to invite and involve our consumers and partners along this journey to our Goal 2030.

“TEARS is inspired by Priya experience, who came to Singapore to work as a dancer and was tricked and threatened into sex work. The police later rescued 14-year-old Priya. She bravely faced her captors in court and, through her time with HAGAR, learned to speak English, honed several vocational skills, and saved up a sum of money working in Singapore.”

 

 

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