Redwood Classics Apparel, a Toronto-based clothing supplier, is proud to release its first ever Impact Report, detailing its decade of sustainability and diversity in the fashion industry.
Focusing on the period of 2009-2019, the Impact Report dives into what sustainability means to Redwood Classics Apparel, including its mantra of “people, planet, prosperity.” The company hopes that, by releasing this Impact Report, it will serve as an aspirational baseline that others in their industry can look to as we all build toward a more sustainable future.
The Impact Report highlights 10 years of conscious growth, sustainable innovation and the strides Redwood Classics Apparel and its founder and president, Kathy Cheng, have made for diversity, inclusion and innovation, both inside and outside its factory walls.
“Innovation is so much more than just a new idea,” says Cheng. “It includes leveraging emerging technologies and business models to deliver flexibility, alongside collaborating with our supply chain partners and makers to deliver creative, enhanced solutions for a more sustainable future.”
Some highlights and findings from the Impact Report include:
- Average 70% of the raw material Redwood Classics Apparel consumes is knit within a 100-mile radius of its factory in the heart of Toronto, Canada, enhancing its ability to rapidly innovate
- By sharing the importance of the company’s family textile legacy, a platform for marginalized supply chain partners has been created to enable them to have their voices heard
- By producing locally in Canada, the company is able to minimize shipping emissions and material waste
- The company uses landfill-destined deadstock and turns it into upcycled fabric, creating circular solutions for a thriving planet
In addition, Redwood Classics Apparel recognizes its use of natural resources and the impact it has on the environment, and the Impact Report details the measures that have been taken to minimize its carbon footprint throughout the manufacturing process.
While the report covers the time between 2009-2019, it became increasingly necessary to highlight the impact 2020 had on the company, and the report includes greater insight on how the company pivoted during the pandemic to better serve its community by making fabric masks that were donated to numerous health and community partners. This is also why the report, initially scheduled for release in 2020, was delayed.
View the full report here or visit www.redwoodclassics.net for more information.
