Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Sustainability and social responsibility are at the heart of everything we do. As business owners and global citizens, we believe in slowing down fashion, reconnecting people with what they buy, and reducing waste.
We are also deeply committed to improving the working conditions of garment workers. Our founder, Charlotte, has spent 17 years helping factories create better and safer environments for their employees. As a manufacturing specialist, she is passionate about ethical production and ensuring that fashion is made responsibly.
Building a truly sustainable fashion business as a startup is no easy task, but we are committed to taking it one step at a time. We recognise that the industry’s sustainability challenges don’t have a quick fix, but we are determined to make a difference.
Currently, 98% of the items we sell are made to order, meaning no dead stock and no excess inventory. If we receive a return, we repair it (when needed) and put it back on sale or offer it at a discount. So far, aside from a few lost parcels, we have not discarded a single swimsuit or piece of fabric—keeping us aligned with our zero-waste target.
Beyond fair labour practices, we are committed to equitable collaborations with artists. We work directly with artists, ensuring they are fairly compensated and receive a share of the revenue from the designs that feature their artwork. By embedding cultural respect and financial equity into our model, we aim to create a truly sustainable and ethical fashion ecosystem.
So here are some other steps we have taken:
Our product range includes eco-friendly products made of recycled post-consumer plastics.
Recycled polyester is produced by recycling existing materials (like plastic bottles and packaging) but still has all the characteristics and performance as a regular polyester, making it a more sustainable fabric alternative.
Producing rPet takes 33% to 53% less energy than creating polyester from scratch. Also, rPet produces approximately 54.6% fewer CO2 emissions to the air than virgin polyester.
Made-to-order = no product waste
Around 85% of all textiles produced by the fashion industry end up in landfills, making it a major contributor to environmental damage. One in every five garments reaches a landfill without being worn even once.
By choosing Milpali, you choose apparel that's created only as the order is placed, creating less fabric waste than conventional manufacturing. Every purchase, big or small, has a footprint. With each purchase, you have a choice. You choose the size of the mark to leave on the planet, and we want to help you choose wisely.
Fabric Waste reduction during production
To avoid waste from being produced in the first place, our production partners started optimizing our print product layouts. They also reuse part of this leftover fabric to make scrunchies and headbands to minimise wastage.
Fair working conditions
Our production partners have a strong focus on creating fair working conditions. We selected them (amongst other reasons) because they pay their employees a living wage, which is higher than the local minimum wage. Our production partners have also partnered with ethical trade organization Sedex to ensure transparency and help monitor supplier compliance.