FAQs – Girlfriend Collective logo
FAQs – Girlfriend Collective logo

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Sustainability & Manufacturing

Find answers to frequently asked questions about Sustainability & Manufacturing.

How do we know you’re really fair-trade, and using recycled fabrics?

We want to be as transparent as possible, so we're happy to share our certifications with you. Our factory is SA8000 certified, which you can read about here, and view our certification here. This certification promises that our operation adheres to

What can I do about microfibers?

Did you know all synthetic fabrics shed tiny pieces of plastic called microfibers in the wash? (It’s true. Even your favorite cozy fleece, swimwear, underwear, vintage dress, and, yep, Girlfriend leggings.) We recommend washing all of your synthetics

What's the deal with your recycled nylon fabric?

Every year, millions of marine animals – like sea turtles, seals, dolphins, and whales – are harmed by ocean plastic pollution. About 10% of the estimated 14 billion pounds of trash discarded in the ocean annually is made up of abandoned, lost, or di

What happens to the water used during your dyeing process?

The dyeing process is often environmentally destructive, with many facilities opting for non eco-friendly dyes and chemicals, and choosing to dump wastewater freely into water sources like streams and rivers. If you look at photos of rivers that flow

How is your recycled fabric made?

After all the bottles are sorted into their respective categories (#1, #2, #3, and #4 plastic), they are sent to their processing centers. Our leggings and bras are made from #1 plastic - or Polyethylene Terephthalate, also known as PET. Fun fact: Al

Where do you source all of your water bottles?

Great question!. Taiwan, where we source all of our post-consumer water bottles, used to be called “Garbage Island". A small island nation of 23 million people, the government saw the danger of ignoring the problem, and through widespread change has

How do you dye?

Our fabric is dyed with eco-friendly dyes and the wastewater is carefully cleaned and cooled before it is released. (We even donate the dye mud to a local pavement facility where it’s recycled into sidewalks and roads.). The unique dyeing process can

What’s SA8000?

SA8000 is a social accountability standard and certificate developed by Social Accountability International (SAI). They created this certification to help and protect workers worldwide by providing a standardized guideline to protect the integrity of

Where do you manufacture?

All of our textiles are made from recycled materials in our facility in Taiwan that specializes in eco-friendly and high-quality textiles, then cut-and-sewn in our SA8000 certified factory in Hanoi, Vietnam, that guarantees fair wages, safe and healt

Is everything eco-friendly?

We're like the earth's number one fan, so being eco-friendly is at the top of our priorities, as is giving you as much information as possible. Here’s a breakdown of some of our products and how it stacks up. PackagingOur packaging is 100% recycled a

How do you turn old water bottles into clothes?

Did you know almost all synthetic activewear is made from plastic? We just make ours with materials that would otherwise clog landfills and pollute the earth. It all starts with 100% post-consumer water bottles that have their labels removed, are cru

Are you carbon neutral?

We partner with EcoCart to provide a carbon-neutral option for all orders placed on our site. EcoCart directs the carbon offset funds to certified carbon offset projects like planting trees or building wind farms. They have scoured the globe for carb