World Earth Day 2022
With our countryside home in the heart of the beautiful South Downs National Park, love and respect for the natural world has always been at the heart of what we do. Across over two decades of collections, the Earth's wonder has been a consistent source of inspiration, from the name of our brand (originating from the ancient term for a copse of Aspen trees near a water well) to the motifs and imagery seen throughout our designs.
As a company, we are working to sit the Earth at the table. This means that when we make decisions, we give the Earth a voice and say on what actions we take, working consciously with the environment in mind. Last April, we furthered this commitment to the environment by launching our internal Sustainability Strategy, which we use to ensure that sustainable fashion is at the core of our business.
This World Earth Day, we want to share the progress we have made in the last year.
Introducing Our Vegan Collection
We are excited to be launching our new Vegan Collection as part of our sustainability strategy. Made for the customer looking for an alternative to leather, the collection delivers Aspinal-worthy quality in a plant-based, PETA-approved material.
Our vegan leather collection is designed using OOMIUM®, a durable, plant-based alternative material created using European sourced FSC certified natural, biodegradable cellulose from trees. We have worked closely with OOMIUM® to develop a vegan material that replicates our signature croc print leather as closely as possible.
To achieve the high standard of finish found in our collection, OOMIUM® cellulose is combined with minimal quantities of synthetic latex (a bi-product), water and dyes. The result is an alternative leather material with a reduced environmental impact, due to its lessened demand on finite natural resources and minimal use of plastic in its production.
The launch consists of eight stylish products from across our existing collections, reworked in three of our bestselling colourways: Black, Bordeaux and Amazon Brown. Each product has been carefully developed to ensure our high standards of quality and craftsmanship are retained throughout.
Our popular Camera Bag is a stunning piece from the collection and our first-ever vegan leather handbag. The silhouette replicates our existing Camera Bag in terms of specification and contemporary aesthetic, whilst the strap has been re-worked to feature a beautifully striped webbing crossbody strap.
The full collection features vegan leather versions of our celebrated small accessories and gifts, with options for every individual and lifestyle. Perfect for travel, our Passport Cover and Luggage Tag take airport ensembles to the next level. Enviable essentials, our Billfold Wallet, Slim Credit Card Holder and A5 Leather Journal add moments of luxury to the everyday. Guaranteed to impress a wide range of friends and family, our Hip Flask and Leather Loop Keyring make for faultless gifting.
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Reducing our carbon footprint is a key goal for our sustainability strategy, and we have already made significant progress. By reviewing our product timeline to allow additional shipping time, a proportion of our products are sea freighted rather than air, reducing our carbon emissions by an astonishing 85% from 2018 to 2021.
Launching this July, a newly developed Essential Tote with removable handles will support this effort by reducing box size by 30%, meaning more boxes can be transported with fewer journeys. A clever, simple initiative with the power to make a big impact.
Recycled Thread
We are proud to introduce a new recycled thread across our product lines, made from 100% recycled drinking bottles. Starting in May, Camera Bags, Essential Totes and Regent Totes will use recycled thread. From July, approximately 40% of our entire collection will use the thread.
Plastic Reduction
We have made changes to ensure we reduce plastic across the business. Product that is transported from factories to our head office is now shipped in one of our compostable plastic-free bags or paper, protecting the product whilst being conscious of the steps we can take towards a sustainable future. This is a key pledge for us, and we are continuing to develop exciting initiatives across the business to ensure we eliminate single-use plastic.
Charitable Work
A close and important partnership, we have continued our relationship with the South Downs National Park Trust. A recent £10,000 donation has helped to enhance the grassland for key pollinators through the Downs' Beelines project, as well as plant trees, which play a vital role in nature and the climate.
Across several collections, we have donated a percentage of our profits to the Trust, supporting a number of critical initiatives. This includes 1m2 of meadow planted for every Bee Keyring sold, and one tree planted with each sale of the keyrings and scarves in our Woodland Collection. Together, these projects will help to protect the natural world for future generations.
We are proud of all of these achievements, but we know that there is always more we can do. As we further innovate and adapt, environmentally conscious decision will be staying at the top of our agenda. We look forward to continuing to take positive action and sharing our progress.