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 believe in building lasting relationships with the artisans and craftspeople behind our collections. Many of our suppliers have been with us for years, and their skill and dedication is reflected in every piece we make. In recent years, we’ve taken significant steps to develop our UK and Europe-based supplier mix, reflecting our commitment to sourcing closer to home. 

We also collaborate with London-based artisans for both sampling and production, supporting independent businesses in our community while significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with global shipping.

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 are thoughtful about the materials we choose, selecting fibres that are kind to both people and the planet. With our origins as a cruelty-free brand, an ethical approach to materials remains central to the Shrimps ethos. Our organic cotton is grown free from chemicals and harmful pesticides, making it hypoallergenic and better for the environment. By choosing it, you're investing in water conservation, cleaner air and soil while supporting farmers and their livelihoods.

Our merino wool is renewable, biodegradable, and naturally antibacterial, meaning your garments require far less washing.

Our beautiful Italian-made outerwear linings feature signature Shrimps illustrations and have long been a staple of our outerwear collection. We use past-season, surplus stock to line our small batch production runs to minimise waste, and when we do buy new, we incorporate recycled fibres to ensure the lowest impact possible.

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.

We produce two collections a year; Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, dropping in small capsules throughout the season. By making only what we know we can sell, every piece remains intentionally limited and gains value over time. 

For our core collection, we sometimes offer a limited pre-order. By ordering ahead of our production run, you help us make exactly what's needed to fulfil demand, reducing excess and bringing us one step closer to zero waste.

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.

We have launched a repair service in collaboration with The Seam, helping customers extend the life of their Shrimps pieces.

We've also partnered with HURR for rental, where you can find our exclusive one-of-a-kind Antonia bags.

For resale, we've teamed up with Treet and launched a curated marketplace for buying and selling your treasured Shrimps pieces.

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.