Footprint

OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Beyond our clothing, we work to inset our carbon footprint and offset what we can't. Below is an honest account of where we stand, what we're actively doing, and where we're headed.
Before exploring our approach, it helps to understand the terminology we use.

KEY TERMS

Direct carbon emissions come from sources owned or controlled by Après Studio.
Indirect carbon emissions result from our activities, but are emitted by sources owned by other entities.
Scope 1 encompasses greenhouse gases directly emitted from sources owned or controlled by Après Studio.
Scope 2 covers indirect greenhouse gases arising from the consumption of purchased or acquired energy — electricity, heating, and cooling.
Scope 3 covers greenhouse gases emitted indirectly by activities not directly owned by Après Studio, but occurring within our value chain. These originate from some upstream (pre-production) and all downstream (post-production, including use and disposal) activities.
Carbon neutral describes a state where greenhouse gas emissions equal zero.
Carbon positive describes a business or individual removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits — going beyond carbon neutrality.
Net-zero emissions refers to all greenhouse gas emissions, not just CO₂, where total GHG emissions have been balanced to zero through reduction, removal, and avoided emissions.

WHY WE FOCUS ON INSETTING, NOT OFFSETTING

Carbon insetting reduces emissions within a company's own operations and supply chain. Carbon offsetting invests in external projects to compensate for emissions elsewhere. Both have a role, but we prioritise insetting — reducing emissions at the source rather than compensating for them downstream. We are committed to the ongoing interrogation of our own direct and indirect processes before turning to external projects to offset what remains.

Work with individuals and companies that pay above-award living wages and prioritise supporting women in industry
Fit out our studio and office using second-hand furniture instead of new
Repair rather than replace all office technology
Avoid printing
Avoid using AI software where possible — AI systems require significant energy consumption for training and running models, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions
Use Red Energy, powered by one of Australia's largest generators of renewable energy
Run a large in-studio cardboard recycling program
Recycle all soft plastics, ink cartridges and batteries through Recycle Smart
Follow Consumer Goods Labelling law for clothing
Use 100% GRS certified recycled nylon thread for woven labels
Use FSC certified cardboard swing tags
Wrap stock in kerbside-recyclable Vela FSC certified paper bags rather than plastic poly bags
Wrap orders in FSC certified tissue printed with non-toxic soy-based inks
Post products in kerbside-recyclable FSC certified cardboard satchels
Use kerbside-recyclable branded paper stickers with non-toxic adhesive
Provide a comprehensive care guide online and across our TikTok channel
Provide a physical care guide card for new customer orders, printed on FSC certified recycled card
Minimise fabric waste by intentional layouts of patterns and utilising spare space for cutting accessories
Repair damaged or faulty garments instead of replacing
Provide fabric garment bags for seasonal and delicate items
Let products sell through before placing new orders
Offer preorders to avoid overstocking
Offer a diverse size range across all products
Educate customers on different fabrics and garment care
Use traceable fabric suppliers across our basics, denim and movement programs, and some ready-to-wear
Offer custom sizing to ensure the best possible fit
Use design techniques such as ruching that accommodate changing body shapes over time
Maintain a comprehensive, easy-to-follow size guide inclusive of multiple body sizes and proportions
Implemented a supplier code of conduct outlining ethics, certifications and environmental standards to adhere to, supported by our fibre and trims sourcing guide

Everyday Actions

Take public transport to and from work
Promote virtual meetings over in-person where possible
Bring food from home
Always use keep cups on coffee runs

Larger Commitments

Deliver consistent customer care and clear product description and photography
Expand size offering
Model product on more diverse body shapes and sizes
Achieve 75% of product with flexible fitting attributes — elastic, drawstring, ruching
Source 50% of bulk production fabrics from a traceable fibre supplier
Transition to renewable energy by adding solar panels to Daisy's studio in Humen Town
Establish supply chain goals with FibreTrace
Explore Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for our garments
Collect upstream activity data to determine the LCA of each garment
Develop a strategy for managing consumer waste
Explore take-back program solutions for end-of-life garments
Launch Après La Vie — our garment resell marketplace

SUBSTANTIATING OUR COMMITMENT

Our priority remains transparency — honest, high-quality garments made with as little environmental impact as possible, and a clear record of the progress we're making to get there.

Traceable Textile Suppliers

Since 2025, we have been working with globally recognised, certified textile suppliers in China. This allows us to condense our supply chain — fabric sourced from a traceable origin where the fibre is grown, harvested, spun, dyed, and finished at a single facility, reducing transportation emissions at multiple stages.

Their eco-friendly certifications include GOTS, GRS, RCS, OCS, Bluesign, ISO 9001, Fair Trade, and BSCI — meeting globally recognised ecological and environmental standards that are regularly audited for compliance.

We are also currently researching FibreTrace — described as "the verification layer for global textile supply chains" — and assessing its feasibility for our operations.

Access to these suppliers has historically been limited by high price points and minimum order quantities. As our business continues to grow steadily, we will be able to integrate more of these traceable and certified fabrics into our production. We are working towards allocating 50% of our bulk production fabric order to this supplier by the end of 2026.

Fabric Sourcing

Currently, 50–60% of our production uses deadstock fabrics sourced from a local market approximately 2km from our manufacturing facility. The remainder is sourced from neighbouring local suppliers. We consistently factor in the distance fabric and trims must travel from origin to facility, as this directly impacts our Scope 3 emissions.

Knitwear

To complement our core offering, we have launched a small seasonal knitwear collection. Finding a knitwear manufacturer that is regularly audited, certified, and willing to work with our order quantities has taken considerable time. All yarns we work with are OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified.

Sizing and Fit

Our primary tool for reducing returns and overconsumption is showing product on a diverse range of bodies, helping customers make better-informed decisions about suitability, styling, and sizing. We currently offer sizes XXS–4XL. Where this doesn't cater to a customer's proportions, all products are available in extended sizing at no additional cost.

ReForest Now

We have invested in ReForest Now — an Australian not-for-profit restoring critically endangered rainforest through tree planting, bush regeneration, and native species nurseries. With survival rates of 85–98% on replanting efforts and over 1.6 million trees planted to date, they operate across Australia, Bali, and Sumatra.

Bali. We funded the reopening of a run-down nursery in Bali, providing the infrastructure needed to support the reforestation of approximately 30% of Indonesia. The project targets close to 6,000 hectares across three sites — each with its own ecological history and restoration approach. These projects took years to arrange and required building deep trust with local communities before work could begin.Kintamani sits in montane former rainforest beside the vast Lake Batur. The ecosystem here has been significantly degraded and requires a full rebuild — replanting high-diversity species to restore the landscape from the ground up.Amed, on Bali's eastern coast, was heavily logged. Hillsides that were once forested are now largely bare, visible even from the water when snorkelling offshore. Restoration here follows a staged process, beginning with tough canopy trees to create the conditions needed for more sensitive species to follow.Batur, heading east of Lake Batur, covers rolling hillsides and mountainous terrain that the Balinese government has identified as critical for restoration. ReForest Now is working through this landscape systematically, replanting in areas considered essential to the region's ecological and water security.

Australia. ReForest Now operates a large nursery and office in Brunswick Heads with a team of 30. Their Australian reforestation efforts are significant — over one million trees planted in the Byron region alone, with high species diversity throughout. They also carry out plantings in the Daintree three times a year, filling gaps in the national park, purchasing back land, and working alongside Indigenous rangers to restore the landscape.

Sumatra. With a team of 83 staff on the ground, ReForest Now planted 150,000 trees in Sumatra in just 3.5 weeks — bringing their total there to well over half a million trees.

Click here for a spreadsheet of every tree ReForest Now have ever planted in each respective country, with links to reporting material.

Après La Vie

Our responsibility efforts extend beyond production. We are working behind the scenes to launch Après La Vie — a program that allows customers to return garments after use. Returned items will be assessed for remaining life expectancy and listed for resale on our website at a reduced price. Customers will receive a store credit of equivalent value in exchange. We are monitoring customer demand closely as we develop this service.