Our Sustainability Values

The Summer Chaser - Our Values

A powerful shift is happening in society right now, and The Summer Chaser is proud to be amongst it. Every corner of the Earth is waking up to the problem of consumerism, generation of uncontrollable and mismanaged waste and climate change that comes with it. The rise and growth of sustainable brands is testament to the conscious women and men who choose to celebrate and support conscious, sustainable and ethical lifestyles. At the core of everything we do at The Summer Chaser is a strong respect for the people we work with and the environment we work within.

Our Mission

According to the Ocean Conservancy, scientists predict that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by weight. [source] Although plastic is beneficial, many plastic products are single-use, meaning they are used once and then thrown away. Sure, you may not be throwing your plastic waste directly into the sea. But waste starts on land, and a significant amount eventually makes its way into the oceans.

Sadly, less than 10% of the world’s plastic gets recycled. This number is devastating, considering that almost none of that plastic waste is biodegradable. Essentially, once plastic is made, it exists forever. On the flip side, nearly all solid plastic (like water bottles!) is capable of being recycled.

It is our mission to raise awareness on the state of our environment and to enable sustainable habits whilst on tour through fun, easy to carry and multifunctional products that aim to reduce traveller’s individual impact. After all, we should care about the planet as much as we love exploring it.

Our Fabric

The Summer Chaser is pioneering the use of a revolutionary fabric that supports the removal of post-consumer plastic waste. About 85% of the fibre content in our towels consists of PET waste such as recycled plastic bottles. The waste that could have ended up in the landfill, or worse - in our oceans, can now serve you for years to come in the form of a beautiful towel. By regenerating waste, we’re not only making it new again, but we are reducing dependence on petroleum and saving energy while also reducing carbon emissions.

Recycling Process

Plastic bottles are cleaned and shredded into flakes and then pulsed through hot air, converting the chips into pellets with hard shells. The pellets are run through a dryer to eliminate any moisture that could weaken the final product and then they are melted into a thick liquid. Finally, the molten material is turned into stable felt-like fibre that is spun into polyester yarn.

The Summer Chaser - Bottle to Yarn Recycling Process

Responsible Manufacturing

Our towels are made ethically and sustainably in China. The innovative fabric that is used to produce our towels is manufactured in Quanzhou by an incredible facility with the production capacity of the whole industrial chain from bottle sorting, cleaning, shredding to yarn spinning and fabric weaving. The company adheres to the concept of low carbon, environmental protection and resource regeneration, and is committed to the research and development of waste resources recovery and recycling technology. The factory complies with European Union ROHS, EN71, REACH standard, and passes the Chinese environment mark product certification, ISO9001, ISO14001 certification. Their recycled yarns are certified under the Global Recycled Standard and are tested for harmful substances by OekoTex Standard 100.

Our printing and assembly facility is located in Guangzhou, 700 km away from the fabric production facility that utilises a low impact digital sublimation printing and hand assembly. 

global recycled standard        Oeko-Tex Standard 100 logo

 

For details on the issues covered by the GRS, go to https://textileexchange.org/integrity/

For details on Oeko-Tex Standard 100, go to https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/standard-100-by-oeko-tex

For more details on plastic pollution, visit https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/

Plastic-free & 100% Carbon Neutral Delivery

We keep packaging to a minimum - only recycled paper wrapper is used around each towel.

We also broke up with plastic mailers. Instead, your towels are delivered in resealable and certified compostable satchels manufactured by Australian-based Hero Packaging using Sendle - the first postal company in Australia to offer fully carbon neutral delivery services.

Giving Back

We pledge to donate a portion of sales to The Ocean Cleanup.

The Ocean Cleanup are a rad company developing tech to clean up the 5 Ocean Garbage Patches as well as intercepting the pollution at its source in major rivers around the globe. The project is aimed to rid the ocean of 90% of plastic pollution at a fraction of the cost through advanced technologies and innovative solutions.

The Ocean Cleanup System 001B-30

Image supplied by The Ocean Cleanup - plastic retention along the extended cork line, from System 001/B.

Learn more about the project here and the ways you can support them.

(The Summer Chaser is independent of -and not endorsed or sponsored by The Ocean Cleanup.)

Learn more Who We Are