It’s 2021, the world is rapidly changing and there’s a lot more to think about these days, especially when you choose where you should spend your dollars.
Sustainably and ethically made fashion has been a big talking point for the past few years, but it’s only in recent times that people have started getting serious about making the changes happen. We’re here to share how we have already been making, and are continuing to make, more sustainable and ethical changes in the way we operate here in Australia.
Let’s start with ethics.
We employ approximately 25 staff, and our entire team works within Australia and in compliance with Australian health, safety and working standards. Since day dot, our workshop has been transparently operated on Australian shores and we’re lucky to call our employees our family. We are astounded on a daily basis by their talent and we’re confident when we say that many of you have also felt this passion and talented craftsmanship through your handmade Ugg boots. Unlike other businesses who might operate “ethically” offshore via a third party manufacturer (in line with third world wages), we can unequivocally say that we oversee each and every part of our own manufacturing process and take complete responsibility for the working conditions for our staff.
We get a lot of questions regarding the ethics surrounding our sheepskin and we have answered all of them in our blog here. Our commitment to animal welfare and ethically sourced sheepskin is well renowned in Australia. We’re happy to say we only source our sheepskin from Australian and New Zealand farmers, both to support our local industry, but also because these countries are heavily regulated in terms of their treatment of animals. All of our sheepskins are sourced through modern and industry compliant farms that abide by the “Industry Animal Welfare Standard” conditions, and these are governed by state and federal law. For further information on the Standard, please visit amic.org.au
We use only the best, hardest wearing and durable materials for our sheepskin boots, thereby minimizing fast fashion and the amount of product that ends up in land fill due to poor quality and single uses. All of our products go through a very strict quality control process to ensure you receive only the best of the best! We live by the standard of repair & re-wear by offering a 12 month warranty on your Uggs, and if you happen to have a ‘whoopsie daisy’ moment, there’s a 95% chance we can help repair your Ugg boots!
We say no to fast fashion.
How is UGG Since 1974 sustainable?
We know it’s important to feel good about what you’re buying, so here’s what we’ve done to reduce risk to our beautiful environment.
First and foremost, we make all of our products from a naturally occurring material (sheepskin), so there’s no artificial manufacturing of materials to make your boots.
Secondly, we only acquire sheepskin from farms where it comes about as a by-product of another industry. In other words, we are able to put to good use, a material that would otherwise go to waste.
As we mentioned above, our boots are timeless, long-wearing staples in your wardrobe, so they’ll be with you for years to come, not just a single season. We also do what we can to preserve the longevity of your boots, including offering replaceable sheepskin innersoles, and repairs wherever possible.
Our packaging is recycled and/or biodegradable, and below are some of our newest packaging examples to put your mind at ease.
For us, it’s still important to have protective bags in our packaging, because of the frequency with which our parcels can be impacted by the weather. However, because the bags we use to protect your Uggs are biodegradable, you can feel confident disposing of them with your other biodegradable plastics.
Some call it eco fashion, we call it common sense.
Our dust bags are 100% re-usable and are perfect for storing your Uggs in the summer time to keep them fresh and dust free. Having re-usable dust bags means reducing the waste of a cardboard box.
All of our swing tags, thank you cards, wrapping, leg inserts & other packaging items are all made from re-cycled materials.
We will continue working to ensure all of our products and packaging causes no harm to our environment and in the meantime, we encourage you to think deeply about your next purchase. Be sure to consider where your products are made, who they’re made by, the work environments and the ethics & sustainable practices of the business.
Lastly, please be sure to remember we are UGG Since 1974, not just ‘Ugg’.
With love from the team at UGG Since 1974, here in Australia.