Materials

• Use as few plastics and metals as feasibly possible, due to their high-intensity manufacturing processes and limited recyclability profiles.
• When we have to use plastics and metals only the best will do, with a low failure rate and good environmental stability so they last for years of active use.
• Use heavy-duty cotton canvas, modern cotton manufacturing and processing has a lower environmental impact compared to plastic textiles and can be easily recycled or repurposed many times over.
• Limit all material cut wastage to under 5%. This part works like a jigsaw puzzle. We start by laying the pattern on the material to be cut and looking for the most efficient way to position the large and small pieces together.
• Recycle any and all off-cuts wherever possible (e.g. smaller products).

Manufacturing

• Work a range of small to medium tailoring shops with a passion for high-quality products and processes to minimise unnecessary faults and waste.
• Spend extra time planning and organising parts, materials and efficient processes to minimise faults and waste.
• Design products and features that allow easy maintenance and repair.

Shipping

• Everything we make is shipped by sea freight, as this produces approximately 45 times less CO2e compared to using air freight.
• We never, ever, ever pack our bulk gear individually for shipping. That means zero individual plastic wrapping, no paper and no fumigation. Just large, well-sealed cardboard boxes packed to the brim.
• When we send a product to a customer, it comes in a plain Australia Post satchel, with no extra plastic or paper wrapping, no bow ties or trinkets. Boring yes, but if our gear can’t survive a postage trip it’s not worth making.
• We also don’t provide any sort of packing in our shop or on our market stall.
• We appreciate your support and commitment to protecting our oceans, forests and ice caps for future generations.

Repairs

• We try to repair all damaged or faulty products to limit waste and extend the product’s life-cycle.
• We recycle any unrepairable units through reuse of parts and materials, you would be surprised what an epic fail can inspire!

Print media

All our business cards, care labels and other limited print materials are made using sustainable soy-based inks on 100% recycled papers, or papers containing a high ratio of recycled content. We never use bleached virgin fibres and avoid laminates and celloglaze to ensure our printed items can also be recycled.

Renewable energy

• We are proud owners of a 5 kW solar panel system at Nomad HQ.
• Our next plan is to build and install a solar tracking system so the panels constantly face the sun which should improve their output by 20-30%.
• We are excited by the new residential battery systems becoming available and estimate approximately 9 kWh should cover all our home’s requirements with some left over for our neighbours.

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