Is Girlfriend Collective sustainable? Sustainable activewear with a difference

Describing itself as the Earth's number one fan, Girlfriend Collective is one of the most sustainable activewear brands that consumers can shop.

In this blog, we examine the brand's ethos, sustainability credentials, and products and packaging that help paint a picture of Girlfriend Collective's sustainability.

• The brand
• Sustainability promises
• The product
• The packaging
• Sustainable activewear: Is Girlfriend Collective sustainable?
• Sportswear and sustainability can go hand in hand

The brand

Girlfriend Collective designs and manufactures inclusive, sustainable activewear for women. The product range includes leggings, sports bras and t-shirts, and it even stretches into athleisure, dresses, socks and accessories.

The price range is at the upper end of the high street, similar to Adanola and TALA. That's because you're paying extra for the quality of the garments and the brand's extra eco-considerations.

"We believe good things come to those who don't waste." - Girlfriend Collective.

Sustainability promises

When it comes to the brand's sustainability promises, they go far beyond the usual eco-friendly materials. While it does use a large amount of recycled materials that are OEKO-TEX certified, its sustainability efforts stretch into many other areas:

• Girlfriend Collective is certified in line with SA8000, which ensures safe working conditions and fair pay.
• Third parties verify the brand's factories and suppliers' sustainability credentials, which align with certifications such as WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production).
• It'll only accept new partners and suppliers that share its commitment to sustainability.
• 1% of every Girlfriend Collective purchase is donated to a non-profit of the consumer's choice, whether that's towards climate justice, animal welfare or racial equity.

The product

Heavy investment into the products' materials puts Girlfriend Collective in good stead when ensuring sustainable activewear.

Most products are made from recycled materials using post-consumer waste, including plastic bottles, fishing nets, fabric scraps and more. The brand has even gone the extra mile to ensure materials are BPA-free, so if they were to end up in landfill, the chemical waste would be reduced.

"Old water bottles and fishing nets look better on you than they do clogging landfills and polluting oceans." - Girlfriend Collective

Looking beyond the raw materials, the garments are dyed with eco-friendly dyes. The brand even sells washing bags to ensure microfibres don't enter water streams when consumers wash Girlfriend Collective garments.

Transparency and traceability are key to ensuring sustainability, so the brand has made it easy for consumers to access the information they need, including a breakdown of each product's makeup on its product pages.

The packaging

Considering that the world creates 141 trillion tonnes of plastic packaging annually, it's unsurprising that Girlfriend Collective has made its packaging offer a big part of its sustainability picture.

The brand's packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable, and it encourages customers to reuse it rather than throw it away.

The packaging includes reusable pouches made from 100% recycled materials, FSC-certified paper and Kraft mailing bags.

So, is Girlfriend Collective sustainable?

Does Girlfriend Collective offer truly sustainable activewear? Our answer is yes, further supported by Good On You's rating of the brand as 'good'.

Girlfriend Collective goes beyond thinking about the eco-credentials of the immediate product, supporting its sustainability efforts further with certified suppliers and post-point-of-sale initiatives such as wash bags and eco-friendly packaging that won't clog landfills.

When you consider the complete picture of ethos, product, packaging and extra commitments, it's fair to say that Girlfriend Collective is sustainable.

Sportswear and sustainability can go hand in hand

Interested in reading more content like this or seeing how we've helped sportswear brands to become more sustainable? Head to our sportswear hub to find blogs, case studies, insights and products to inspire you.