Blue Sky Clothing Co is an apparel retailer with a focus on sustainability. Blue Sky Clothing Co has many locations, but since Motmot rates businesses on a location by location basis, this is the flagship location on Lonsdale Ave. in North Vancouver.

Product

 ≈25% of clothing are sourced organically (without pesticides). ≈80% of clothes use sustainable materials, which are defined by this list: hemp, linen, organic bamboo, silk, merino wool (only if certified by the Responsible Wool Standard, ZQ Merino Standard or similar), organic cotton or soy silk. ≈80% of clothing is plastic free, ≈75% is fair trade – owner and designer Marilyn Cobban frequently visits sewing facilities to make ensure working conditions are ethical. Blue Sky Clothing Co. incorporates ideas of ‘slow fashion’ into their business operations. 

Packaging

Bags are made out of (unrecycled) paper. Blue Sky Clothing Co. actively encourages customers to use reusable bags. Clothing tags in the store are made from paper but are reused as often as possible to maintain sustainability and lower waste. 

Facility

Blue Sky Clothing Co. uses EnergyStar rated programmable thermostats to ensure energy efficiency. HVAC filters are sometimes replaced on time. Pipes are insulated to retain heat. EnergyStar rated CFL lightbulbs are used. All lights are turned off upon closing. All soaps and cleaners are non-toxic, are not tested on animals. Rat/mouse traps are non-toxic. Less environmentally-damaging options are used when eradicating pests.  ≈50% of appliances are EnergyStar rated.

Disposal

Trash is separated into compost, glass recycling, plastics recycling, paper recycling, and unrecyclable trash. Nearly all other items are disposed of responsibly, such as fabric, batteries, lightbulbs, furniture, and paints. There is an encouraged clothing return program. A waste audit is done multiple times a year.

Community

Blue Sky Clothing Co. has a year-long ‘Socks for Literacy’ program, where $1 from their merino wool socks is donated to local literacy programs with Decoda Literacy. where All employees, for a majority of the time, commute to work using public transit, carpool, or walk/bicycle.

note for consumers: 

Visit this location and notice inconsistencies between these details on-site and actual business practices? Email info@motmot.ca.