We believe in mindful, careful consumption. In reducing waste, taking care of the environment and working with like-minded businesses we respect. We recognise the importance of protecting the environment and are aiming to minimise the impact of work practices carried out by the company wherever possible. 

MINIMISING WASTE AND RECYCLING

Reuse, Re-purpose and Recycle are key practices for our waste policy at Kate Sylvester. We reuse any excess fabrics for toiling samples for upcoming seasons, or donate fabric to fashion technology interns and school projects. We have invested in Style CAD, an in-house technology that allows us to improve fabric yields by mapping how a garment will be cut into the fabric and generate the minimum fabric waste.

We work with local industry projects to re-purpose any fabric scraps we have left over. This year we have participated in a project with local primary schools, donating fabric off-cuts and scraps to be made into beeswax food wraps and reusable shopping bags. We also support the project Y-OUR HANDS which involves teaching valuable sewing skills to the community. Find out more here.

COMPOSTING AND COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING

We compost food scraps and compostable materials at Kate Sylvester. Our friends at NZ company Compostic are doing great things and we use their compostable packaging for our local couriers and offer this option for customers to use this for their online orders too. Compostic bags are 100% industry certified and will break down within 90 days in commercial compost and 180 days in domestic compost, leaving behind no harmful residues. As part of this initiative we are also offsetting these packages journey by supporting native New Zealand tree planting projects around the country. Compostic have other projects in the pipeline to create plastic free alternatives so we are excited to get on board with what they come up with next.

Please note all sale items will be sent in compostable packaging.

FREIGHT AND SHIPPING

At Kate Sylvester we consistently work to reduce the impact of our freight. We offset the carbon of our online compostable package deliveries, and when planning our production schedule we allow for longer lead times to facilitate sea freight and combine deliveries to cut down on transportation wherever possible.

REPAIRS INITIATIVE

Kate Sylvester values a mindful, considered approach to garment production. Our clothing embodies a modern yet timeless aesthetic, created from premium materials and is designed for a lifetime, not a season.

Kate Sylvester offers a complimentary repairs service on any garment from any time or season. Pop into your closest Kate Sylvester store and our team will talk you through your options.

We value our customers and the integrity of our product. Help us do our part to minimise the volume of garments that end up in landfill each year and extend the life of the Kate Sylvester garments you love.

Minor Repairs include:

• Lining repairs
• Missing Buttons
• Seam stitching – hems or top stitching
• Binding repair
• Broken Zips
• Reattaching labels
• Reinforcing seams

We cannot repair:

• Holes
• Fabric Flaws
• Pills / Pulls
• Marked / Stained Items

This service applies to Kate Sylvester clothing only, excludes footwear and accessories. Please ensure your item is cleaned prior to bringing into store.

If you have any questions please contact katie@katesylvester.com or pop into your local Kate Sylvester store.

Please email contact@katesylvester.com if you would like any fabric scraps for your project.

ECOSTORE

We love what our friends at Ecostore do, and we support them with 100% use of their cleaning and washing products in our head office and retail stores. By buying in bulk and using refillable bottles we ensure that waste is kept to a minimum.

OUR STORE DESIGN

Kate Sylvester takes a mindful approach when choosing key design elements for our stores. FSC sustainable plantation grown timber is a key element of our fit outs. We use recycled brass accents which get better age and wear and we support local craftsman to custom build our furniture and fixtures.