Clothing company’s campaign pledges one new tree for every shirt sold

Based in Ireland, GROWN also works closely with a South Indian production company to track every aspect of the t-shirt’s journey

Spotted: Irish startup GROWN sells 100 per cent organic cotton, hemp and recycled fibre t-shirts. The three founders created the company out of their love for the sea and a desire to reduce the pollutants created by the fashion industry. As part of their green approach to doing business, the company’s campaign, tree4tee, pledges one new tree for every t-shirt sold. 

By the end of 2019, the business will have planted more than 700 trees, all of which are indigenous to Ireland. Shoppers have the option to gift a tree or pay for one to be planted for themselves, and GROWN’s products are sold online and via a shop on Francis Street in Dublin. 

Production of the clothing takes place in India, by the Continental Clothing Company, a business leading the way in ethical manufacturing, and all products made there are fully traceable. GROWN chose Tencel for the majority of its shirts, rather than bamboo and cotton because 99 per cent of the materials used in the process of making it is recovered or recycled. The company is active both locally and internationally, working to spread its environmentally-supportive business values as wide as possible.

Notorious for the volume of its waste, the fashion industry is being challenged by a number of innovations designed to reduce its effects as fast as possible. Projects recently spotted by Springwise include a Swedish brand that makes the 2D-patterns and 3D-models of its garment available for free download, to build a community of home sellers and independent brands. In Berlin, an online fashion platform offers sustainable clothing alternatives by connecting people to eco-friendly brands.