SUSTAINABILITY

At TALA, we recognise that we are part of both the problem, and the solution. According to the UN, the fashion industry is widely believed to be the second most polluting industry in the world.

We aim to always share our sustainability journey with honesty and will seek to support the TALA community in navigating the plethora of greenwashing that currently exists.

At TALA, we also know that being able to ‘choose sustainable’ is a privilege, which is why we are on a path to break barriers to enhance the accessibility of our products and credentials.

Still want to buy TALA? We’ll let you decide.

OUR FABRICS

At TALA, our new product development team is focused on creating the very best sustainable styles at competitive prices that don’t compromise on high performance designs and flattering fits. Whether we’re creating classic wardrobe staples or on-trend pieces, our priority is creating clothes that you’ll want to wear over and over again. 

Did you know the average item of clothing in the UK is only worn 7 times, and thrown out after 2.2 years? We want to make sure you’ll be loving your clothes for as long as possible, and whilst we recognise that keeping up with changing consumer habits is no small task, sustainability will always be at the forefront of every product we create. 

This means finding sustainable, durable fabrics that move when you move, feel comfy when you’re relaxing, and fit seamlessly into your everyday life. To create a variety of options for everyone, we use a number of different fabrics in our clothes. Here are some examples of the recycled, upcycled and natural fabrics we use - you can find more information about where they’re used on our individual product pages. 

Recycled products may contain either a percentage of materials collected from recycling programs (postconsumer), a % of materials generated after the manufacture of a product but before it reaches the end-user (pre-consumer) and/or virgin materials.

Post-consumer materials: a product or fibre which would be disposed of as solid waste, having reached the end of the product life cycle. E.g. plastic bottles, collected as part of a recycling program, melted down and made into new clothing fibres, often used to create Recycled post-consumer Polyester.

Pre-consumer material: a fibre or by-products generated after manufacture of a product is completed but before the product reaches the end-use consumer. At TALA, this often means using factory offcuts, which would otherwise end up as waste or in landfill, to create new products.

Q-NOVA®

Q-Nova uses regenerated waste materials that would otherwise have been disposed of to create lightweight, breathable fabrics. The fabric and manufacturing process is controlled to ensure no harmful chemicals are used that would detract from the final sustainability of the product. Q-Nova is certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) and EU Ecolabel and its impact measured by the Higg Index, meaning it really is one of the best fabrics for our clothes! You can learn more about Q-Nova here.

Recover®

Recover® uses textile waste as a raw material resource, reducing the amount of land, water, emissions and chemicals needed to create our clothes. Recover Recycled Cotton is the most sustainable cotton solution available today, according to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index. They’re also certified by the Global Recycling Standard. Read more about the environmental benefits here.

Lyocell

Lyocell is an environmentally friendly fibre made from wood pulp. It’s great for people with sensitive skin and is resistant to picking up smells, meaning you’ll have to wash it less, which is also great for the planet. 

Bamboo

Did you know that bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, and uses 10% the amount of land as cotton to produce the same yield? That’s one of the many reasons we think it’s a great fibre to use in our clothes. It’s temperature controlling and moisture wicking too, so perfect for those warmer days. 

Cotton

Cotton is a wonderfully versatile natural fabric, and at TALA we use a combination of recycled cotton and organic cotton. The Higg Materials Sustainability Index calculates that organically grown cotton has roughly half the environmental impact of conventionally grown cotton, so we will always strive to keep our use of virgin cotton to a minimum.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose

Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre that’s made from trees, and is the third most commonly used textile in the world! More than 150 million trees are logged each year to turn into cellulosic fabric which is why we only use sustainably sourced wood pulp with maximum supply chain transparency. Our viscose is certified by EU Ecolabel, which certifies its sustainability and lower environmental impact from raw-materials sourcing to production and distribution. The manufacturing of LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibres we use generates up to 50% lower emissions and water impact compared to generic Viscose. 

Recycled Nylon

Nylon is a very versatile fabric, especially when it comes to activewear. Our recycled nylon is certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) to ensure we only use pre-consumer waste, rather than non-renewable resources. This is material that would have been sent to landfill or downcycled if we didn’t use it! 

TENCEL® Modal

TENCEL® Modal is created from wood-based fibres derived from sustainably sourced, naturally grown beech wood with twice the softness of cotton so it’s kind to  skin and to the planet. The closed loop production process of TENCEL® Modal recycles 99% of chemicals and strives to safeguard resources for future generations through the use of renewable energy. TENCEL™ Modal fibres are certified with the internationally recognised EU Ecolabel, an environmental quality label only awarded to products and services which have a significantly lower environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycle. Products awarded the label are independently assessed for compliance with strict ecological and performance criteria.

REPREVE®

REPREVE® is the leading, most trusted, branded performance fibre made from recycled materials including plastic bottles. Using REPREVE® recycled polyester offsets using new petroleum, emits fewer greenhouse gases and conserves water and energy vs making virgin fibres. It also has wicking, adaptive warming and cooling, water repellency qualities, and is reliable and durable. Perfect for our collection of swimwear! 

What about microfibres?

Did you know that all synthetic fibres release tiny threads called microfibres every time they are washed? These are a form of microplastic, tiny pieces of plastic released as products break down. These tiny plastics from clothes are the greatest source of primary microplastics in our oceans. This includes your favourite leggings, dresses, jumpers, underwear and yes, our clothes too. This is why we recommend only washing your clothes when you have to, and using a Fibre Filter bag each time you do to trap the fibres. This will help the waterways stay clear. We think all washing machines should have a filter as standard, but until they do, you can use our filter bags to keep those microfibres away from delicate water ecosystems.

OUR FACTORIES

We care about how our products are made, and are proud to source materials from all around the world to get the best available to us, and to make amazing pieces for you. This means that we work with a number of different factories, depending on what we’re making, and how it’s made.

When it comes to choosing where we make our next range we look at a number of different factors - materials, price, labour practises and the environmental work of the factories. We recognise our responsibility to the people involved in the production of our garments, including those we both directly and indirectly employ. We know you can’t be sustainable without being ethical too, and care deeply about the ethics of our supply chain.

Here is a list of our factory locations and the accreditations they hold -

Portugal 

We’ve worked with our partner factories in Portugal since the very beginning of TALA. They produce several of our best-selling products including the Zinnia and Luna leggings. The companies that we work with in Portugal have been audited by SEDEX. The SEDEX audit is based on site visits, policy reviews and interviews with the teams. It focuses on health and safety, labour, environment, and business ethics. 

The fabrics we use and the production methods in the factories have been accredited by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This independent certification looks at the entire textile supply chain, ensuring organic fibres are used and certain nasty chemicals banned. There is also a focus on waste reduction and checks on the working conditions. The fabrics are accredited by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) to verify their recycled content and chain of custody and OEKO-TEX, meaning that no harmful substances are used in the making of these clothes. We truly care about where all of our products are made and continue to work closely with our factory partners.

Check out our videos of our Portugal factory -

 

What products they create for TALA: CORE, CORE COLOURS, LUNA, ONDA, FLARE, RUN, WAVE, SOL, PIPE DREAM, REC, IVY, NOVA, VENUS, ZAE, LAZE and all seamless and underwear. 

First worked with TALA: 2019

Turkey 

Our factory in Turkey manufacturers products including our Zae tops and Fuse tennis skirts. They meet all Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) requirements, covering source materials, manufacturing quality, labour, and working conditions. BSCI provides a system to help companies improve conditions in their supply chain, such as ensuring no child labour and that fair wages are paid to the teams manufacturing the products. We want to ensure all of our factories are taking steps to improve the working conditions for their teams and are reducing their impact on the environment. 

What products they create for TALA: ZAE, COSY, FUSE skirt and LAZE

First worked with TALA: 2020

China 

We manufacture a select number of products via our Hong Kong supplier at factories in the Shanghai region of China. All of the factories are regularly audited to keep track of and ensure ethical manufacturing processes, wages, working hours and other labour practises. They have achieved various accreditations certifying lawful, ethical and humane manufacturing processes such as BSCI or WRAP, which also ensures compliance with environmental standards. 

What products they create for TALA: SkinLuxe™, Fibre Filter bags

First worked with TALA: Accessories 2019, Clothing 2020

Our DayFlex collection is produced by our ethical production partner based in China, specialists in manufacturing yoga and activewear, who are SMETA audited. The DayFlex fabric is sourced from an OEKO-TEX and GRS certified mill.

What products they create for TALA: DayFlex

In China, Turkey and Portugal we have local independent teams on the ground who ensure compliance to our high standards, and we’re working to improve these standards in line with best practice international standards protecting the integrity of workers’ conditions and wages. 

Italy

TALA's 100% recycled polyester face coverings are produced at a small family run factory in Italy. The products are certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS), a third-party environmental standard measuring not only the recycled content of the products produced, but also the traceability of the materials, compliance with waste water standards and compliance with various social criteria, such as workers' rights. We have a close relationship with the factory and their 19 employees, which is important to maintain trust and make progress together. The fabrics used in the face coverings are certified by the GRS, and the HeiQ Viroblock treatment is OEKO-TEX, ZDHC and Bluesign certified, meaning that in its production, the use of any harmful substances is minimised and harmful waste is prevented from getting into local waterways and ecosystems. These are some of the top certifications when it comes to minimising environmental impact, and protects the environment, our workers and our customers.

First worked with TALA: Accessories 2021

Vietnam