The Common Good Company (TCGCo) is a newly launched Australian sustainable and ethical essentials brand closing the loop on fashion, one t-shirt at a time.
Founded in 2020 by Melbourne-based fashion designer and passionate change-maker Tessa Carroll, The Common Good Company uses fashion as a platform to engage, educate and empower people that there is not only a better way to consume but a better way to produce
“It has been suggested that designers influence 80-90% of the environmental and economic cost of a product. As custodians of the land we need to understand that the earth’s resources are finite,” says Carroll. “A single cotton T-shirt costing the earth 2700 litres of fresh water is not sustainable.”
TCGCo has developed its own 100% recycled material composed of 60% recycled pre-consumer cotton and 40% recycled polyester to eliminate the unnecessary waste, water use, land use and pollution that is typically involved with the production of yarns made from virgin materials.
Pre-consumer cotton is the cotton waste that is found on the cutting room floors and the raw material from recycled polyester comes from single-use plastic objects like water bottles. Choosing a TCGCo t-shirt saves 2700 litres of water, 170gms of textile waste and 4.5 plastic water bottles from landfill.
TCGCo states the most sustainable t-shirt is the one you already have, coming in second is TCGCo from the 100% recycled material it is made out of right down to the way it is delivered: wrapped in custom FSC Certified tissue paper and sent out in a reusable and compostable bag via a 100% carbon neutral delivery service.
Ethical production is essential to sustainability. “If it’s not ethically-made, it’s not sustainable.” says Carroll. TCGCo holds certifications with Fair Trade, Social Accountability International (SAI) and Sedex, and is compliant with the United Nations Global Compact and the International Labour Organization (ILO). TCGCo materials also meet Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
In addition to using recycled materials and ethical practices, TCGCo is also implementing policies that extend the life of their garments. The brand has this month announced a partnership with textile recycling leaders Manrags. Customers can have up to 10kg of old clothing, linen and shoes collected for only $25, which is fully redeemable to spend at TCGCo. Manrags will reuse, repurpose or recycle the donated textiles.
TCGCo t-shirts are available in a range of printed and blank styles in flattering fits, from the classic ‘John Citizen’ men’s crew-neck to the ultimate oversized ‘Grace Jones’ tee for women, designed to half tuck and roll in.
For more information, visit https://www.thecommongoodco.com
