Join the Movement:

UKSA is excited to launch its new campaign t-shirts to raise money for Polly’s Challenge. We knew we wanted to create a range of t-shirts that supporters could wear to spread awareness for this important cause.

But did you know that every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textile waste is landfilled or burned, and that the clothing industry is the second-largest contributor to global waste? So for us, it was crucial that our t-shirts didn’t cause unnecessary harm to the environment. Finding a way to support Polly’s Challenge in an eco-friendly way became our top priority.

Luckily, there’s an alternative to the traditional linear model of clothing production (which takes resources from the earth to make new products speculatively, then burns or buries whatever doesn’t sell). It’s a circular model where old products are sent back to be remade into new products over and over again, keeping material in circulation indefinitely, and eliminating waste.

That’s why UKSA has partnered with UK-based print-on-demand supplier Teemill  who have been pioneers in creating the circular economy for fashion. Using renewable energy and high quality organic cotton, Teemill produced t-shirts that not only support Polly’s Challenge but also respect the planet. The durable materials and long-lasting prints mean that the clothing will stand the test of time. Every item also features a QR code on the wash-care label that shows customers how to send it back once it’s worn out, so it can be turned into new products and live on.

Thanks to these eco-friendly materials and production processes, we managed to conserve a substantial amount of resources when creating our t-shirts. In fact, we saved:

• 270,270 litres of water – equivalent to the daily usage of over 3,600
• 74 kg of CO2 – comparable to the carbon dioxide absorbed by 3.5 trees in a
• 18 kg of plastic – amounting to approximately 900 plastic

The aim was to prove that we could support Polly’s Challenge with amazing t-shirts designed with the planet in mind. By choosing sustainability over traditional merchandise, we’ve significantly minimised our environmental impact and made a real difference to the climate. For example, the amount of water saved is enough to fill more than 1,000 bathtubs, and the CO2 saved is comparable to driving a car for over 180 miles.

We’re proud to have created a product that supports Polly’s Challenge and champions sustainable practices, and we hope our supporters will wear these charity t-shirts with pride, knowing they’ve made an environmentally conscious choice.