Let's Act
We are aware of the impact the fashion industry has on our environment and as a brand we feel the need to act.
We believe that every woman should be able to indulge herself in luxury created under the best possible conditions at wearable prices. As a fashion brand we design clothing with much care and feeling. This passion is embedded into the lengthy and complex process of manufacturing and sourcing.
Our Let's Act Program takes you through the steps we have taken so far in becoming a more Eco Friendly, Animal Friendly and People Friendly brand and how we aim to grow in all of these aspects in the future.
Only with a forward-focused approach can we reduce our footprint. We hope that learning about the craft and resources that go into our products will help you appreciate our fashion even more.
Eco friendly
Rino & Pelle designs for a longer life: timeless designs that undergo a thorough inspection to meet our high quality standards. From design to trying on and testing clothes - it all happens at the Rino & Pelle headquarters.
In becoming a more Eco friendly brand we strive for more environmentally friendly alternatives and that is why we are constantly on the lookout for ways to make our manufacturing process more sustainable.
To reduce our footprint and to give you the confidence that your fashion choices are more environmentally responsible, we started introducing a series of clothing made from more durable and recycled fabrics. Our Eco Friendly designs are mainly or partly made from sustainably sourced or recycled materials, or the raw material is produced in a more sustainable way.
A part of our collection is produced with EcoVero™ Viscose: a sustainably sourced fabric that has been certified with the EU Ecolabel for textile products (license no. AT/016/001). This fabric is made from fibers derived from renewable wood sources, using an eco-responsible production process by meeting high environmental standards. This has a lower environmental impact than generic viscose.
Besides the EcoVero™ Viscose, we use recycled polyester filling in our outerwear styles and recycled polyester in our ready to wear styles. It depends on the design whether this material is mainly or partly used.
The recycled polyester is obtained from recycled PET plastic waste and transformed into new polyester threads. By using recycled polyester, the use and production of virgin polyester and the impact of this material is reduced.
Circular packaging
In addition to our approach to reduce our footprint, we work on improving our packaging and labelling. These are sometimes small and maybe invisible changes but with a potential to make a difference. The polybags we use are made from recycled plastic and for packaging we use cardboard boxes made from recycled materials. We strive to use less packaging materials and whenever possible we always choose recycled alternatives.
To give back to the circle of life, we became a part of Regreener’s community to contribute to a positive climate impact. At this time the main approach is reversing deforestation by offering our customers to plant a tree when placing an order. This is an ongoing project we support since April 2022. The main restoration approach here is assisted natural regeneration and tree growing in Zambia.
Less waste
We are doing our best to waste as little as possible. To make sure our garments end up in a good place, the most part of our collection is ‘made to order’. Made to order means that we produce by the quantity of orders received from our retailers and online shop. As a result we do not unnecessarily waste materials and energy.
We have an in-house atelier at our headquarters in the Netherlands, where garments that need repairing can be fixed right away. When there are remaining pieces left, we strive to repurpose these pieces and materials at the end of every season. Remaining pieces are sold in a sample sale or resold to buyers to make sure the garments are never thrown away or destroyed. Lastly, we donate remaining fabrics and materials received from suppliers to a small, local organization that dedicates itself to creating comforting hand toys for people with dementia.
animal friendly
Rino & Pelle once started in 1987 as a fashion brand known for her leather jackets. With the world changing and more high-quality and animal friendly materials becoming available, we had to adjust. Despite our heritage and the growing demand for leather, the Rino & Pelle leather styles have been trimmed down massively to a few designs per collection.
In our approach to becoming more animal friendly, we have been investing in faux leather. Our faux leather products do not contain any ingredients of animal origin and no animals have been used in the production chain. Our faux leather is 100% animal free.
Besides our faux leather styles, our padded coats and jackets are also 100% animal free. Our padded coats and jackets never contain down or other feathers.
Lastly, 'no animals occur in our happy fur'. The fur materials we use are always faux and made from recycled polyester.
people friendly
Besides investing in new materials and resources, we feel the need to invest in people.
To control our production suppliers we are affiliated with amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative). This non-profit organization has developed a code of conduct that enables us, as a company, to work together with the manufacturer on the improvement of working conditions in the production chain. All of our suppliers are members of amfori BSCI.
The principles of amfori BSCI concern subjects like: no discrimination, fair remuneration, decent working hours, occupational health and safety, no child labour, protection of the environment and ethical business behaviour.
Besides our affiliation with amfori BSCI, we feel we have a social responsibility to give back by supporting small initiatives locally and bigger projects nationwide and worldwide. Sometimes
small and invisible but always with the intent to give back. We believe by setting an example as a brand we encourage our employees to support causes that are important to them as well.
becoming a friendly consumer
Are you curious about what you can do to improve your own environmental footprint when it comes to your wardrobe?
Rino & Pelle is forever loved for her classics like the Keila coat, Bubbly jacket and Catena Cardigan. We believe they deserve a place in everyone’s wardrobe, because investing in timeless designs is making sure your sense of style will last.
Besides investing in timeless designs, we believe it is important to buy your clothes in a conscious matter. Avoid impulse purchases, make sure your clothes last as long as possible and avoid returning items unless it is unavoidable.
We hope you will cherish, take care and hold on to your favourite Rino & Pelle designs as long as possible. But, when you do decide to replace it for something new, we recommend selling it or giving it away. This makes the environmental impact of your clothing smaller.
Last but not least, always follow the Rino & Pelle instructions to keep your clothing beautiful and durable, as the footprint of a garment is also partly determined by its use.
Rino & Pelle instructions
The main Rino & Pelle rule is to always follow the instructions on the care label.
Other instructions to reduce the footprint of your garments are:
- Only wash when necessary
- Never overload the machine
- Set the right temperature
- Use environmentally friendly detergent
- Set a low spin speed
- Let it air dry
- Do not hang your knitwear, dry your knitwear flat
strategy
We realize we need to take actions to measure and improve our environmental performance. It’s our mission to keep looking for ways to reduce the impact we have on our planet.
As a small international organization we are trying our best to contribute to a better future step by step. Improving our footprint is and will always be an important topic for Rino & Pelle to act on.
Our strategy for 2023 contains a prioritized set of actions:
- Work together with stakeholders to help improve our footprint.
- Improve our manufacturing process by focusing on innovation.
- Minimize our impact on the environment by including more designs made from more durable or recycled materials.
- Reduce our waste and keep on repurposing styles and materials.
- Eliminate all unnecessary plastic packaging and only use recycled packaging.
- Become more socially responsible by giving back and supporting local, national and worldwide organizations.
- Measure and discuss our progress towards each goal annually.
We strive to improve our footprint by becoming a more Eco Friendly, People Friendly and Animal Friendly brand. Should you have any questions regarding our footprint or would you like to engage directly, please contact our Customer Care Team, we invite feedback and are happy to help you further.
Ultimately, we work together to create change.