At Shrimps we recognise the fashion industry's environmental impact and know we have a responsibility to do things better.

As a small independent brand, achieving true sustainability in all areas of our business is inevitably a work in progress. With our origins as a cruelty-free brand, an ethical approach to fashion remains pivotal to the Shrimps ethos.

Below are some of the ways we are working to become as sustainable as possible.

We strive to establish long-standing relationships with artisans and craftspeople for the production of our collections. Our beaded accessories are made by hand in India at a factory with which we have worked closely to develop technical innovations while preserving traditional techniques.

We also collaborate with numerous London-based artisans for both sampling and production. This local-first approach not only supports independent businesses in our community but significantly reduces the carbon emissions associated with global shipping and transportation.

As a natural, long-lasting material with self-cleaning properties, wool continues to feature prominently in Shrimps ready-to-wear. Each season we source tartan fabrics from Scotland produced using traditional techniques.

We have debuted several innovative fabrics made from recycled fibres, including:

- Recycled wool outerwear that gives new life to existing materials

- Recycled polyester faux-sheepskin that offers a sustainable alternative to traditional options

We've transitioned to entirely recyclable packaging across our retail operations, with a commitment to do the same throughout our supply chain by 2030. We have also recently introduced paperless returns. 

For domestic deliveries, we partner with Royal Mail, the UK's greenest delivery option for parcels based on average gCO2e emissions per parcel delivered by UK parcel operators (Citizens Advice 2023 Parcels League Table).

Our team operates from a communal building powered by 100% renewable energy. We embrace flexible working arrangements, allowing team members to reduce commuting emissions while promoting better work-life balance.

For every purchase made through our website, we plant one tree in partnership with One Tree Planted. Customers are given the chance to vote on our next planting location and have so far planted trees in the Amazon Rainforest, Australia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda.

Our design ethos centres on products that last beyond seasonal trends. Coupled with our use of high-quality materials and thoroughly tested production techniques, our aim is that every Shrimps piece can be treasured for many years.

Our detailed care instructions help to protect the longevity of our products, and in rare instances of fault or failure we endeavour to repair items rather than replace them.

2024 saw the launch of our repair service in collaboration with the Seam, enabling our customers to extend the wearability of their Shrimps garments. We have also launched a dedicated resale platform in association with Treet, so customers can easily buy and sell preloved items.

Having completed a Low Carbon Transition Programme in association with the Institute of Positive Fashion and the British Fashion Council, we've developed a structured 5-year plan to reduce our carbon footprint by nearly 25%.

Our key initiatives include:

- Scaling our circular business offerings including repair, rental and resale

- Increasing our ratio of domestic production to further reduce shipping emissions

- Steadily reducing and ultimately removing virgin plastic-based materials from our products

Shrimps is committed to avoiding discrimination of any kind when hiring, casting and choosing collaborators. Furthermore, we are actively working to improve our diversity of representation in these areas, each season discussing as a team how we can affect genuine, non-tokenistic improvement throughout the business.

We will endeavour to go above and beyond to facilitate requests for projects by or for underrepresented groups, and to approach individuals from such groups with opportunities for paid collaborations. Shrimps also supports numerous charitable causes with both one off and ongoing contributions.

We are proud to have a team that is more than 90% female, and each season to collaborate with a wonderful variety of female artists and creatives.

We have established long-standing relationships with each of our artisan suppliers, allowing us to develop innovative new products whilst supporting craftspeople all around the world. This is indicative of our ongoing efforts to diversify all facets of the brand, rather than only those visible externally.

Most importantly, we are cognisant that there will always be more that we can do. In this respect, we are grateful to receive feedback from our customers along with their suggestions as to how we can improve, in aforementioned areas or otherwise.