How It's Made?
We're serious about our t-shirts, so we don't mess around with quality. We partner with Stanley/Stella to bring you top-notch threads that feel as good as they look. And to keep our environmental footprint small, we use printing partners from around the world to make shipping as efficient as possible. Plus, our shirts are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and PETA-Approved Vegan, so you can feel good about looking good.
When you choose print-on-demand, you're not only getting a one-of-a-kind Optimist Collective item, but you're also being a great human. By creating your apparel only when it's ordered, we're producing less waste than traditional manufacturing methods. We're also using the made-to-order production approach, meaning we're only creating the items our customers actually want. So you're not only getting a unique piece that reflects your personality, but you're also doing your part in reducing our environmental footprint. Double win!
We care about the impact of our production. That's why we work with Stanley/Stella who use the latest dye machines to minimise water usage and reduce contamination. We know that textile dyeing and washing generates toxic waste, which is why our partner factories have on-site Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). This means that wastewater can be treated and safely returned to nature without causing harm. Some of our partner factories even use the treated water for car washing and gardening.
For our DTG prints, we use Kornit machines and inks. Kornit uses high-quality, water-based vegan inks. Kornit inks are non-hazardous, toxin-free, biodegradable, and certified with an OEKO-TEX Eco Passport. We print our posters with Epson inks that are certified by GreenGuard. Kornit printing produces zero water waste because it’s using inkjet technology: the ink is jetted directly onto the surface of the fabric, like a printer.
Our manufacturing facilities produce almost no landfill because everything that can be recycled, is recycled. Our t-shirt provider has optimized the cutting to reduce plastic use, and excess fabric is recycled into a number of things like baby bibs or stuffing for upholstery.
With 92 million tons of textile going to waste in the fashion industry each year, a print-on-demand business model like this is a game-changer.
Since Optimist Collective is based in UK, our favourite printing facility is here, in Birmingham. We also have facilities on both US coasts - in Charlotte, North Carolina and Los Angeles, California. We also have fulfillment centers in Canada, Mexico, Latvia, Spain, and fulfillment partners in Australia and Japan. Having fulfillment centers close to our customers is good both for the business and the planet.
Strategically located fulfillment centers allow for faster shipping times and lower shipping costs, and it also helps with reducing the CO₂ emissions produced when transporting orders.