LSC Swag and changing the way you buy to impact
Sustainable practices and Social Responsibility are buzz words that circle the internet often these days. Businesses have turned their eyes towards these topics with an urge to make things right.
But, are they doing it right?
Rather than doing things right by society and the environment, most businesses use sustainability and environmentally conscious policies as a front for promotion and nothing beyond.
For most manufacturers, the policing ends at the marketing meeting. The pressure to reduce costs, speed up production time and please shareholders only strengthens the dangerous Fast Fashion trend. It’s a trend that encourages the “throw-away” culture.
Living behind the banner of sustainability and social responsibility, the manufacturers turn a blind eye towards safeguarding the environment and enacting sustainable practices.
By 2050, the textile industry will represent 26% of the world’s carbon budget globally, and this trend is terrible.
Suppose there are no drastic remedial measures taken. In that case, the apparel sector will reach a mammoth figure of 300 million tons of non-renewable raw material usage by the year 2050.
On top of that, fashion has always stood as an expression of one’s identity. It represents one’s values and beliefs. This representation is what kept the industry alive with its dynamism and space for everyone to express themselves.
But with the increasing price pressure and competition, this valuable aspect of the identity slows fading away to the ground. Manufacturers are trading the identity for higher profits and better returns.
That is why LSC Swag wants to make a difference.
LSC Swag — A representative and responsible brand
Based in Puerto Rico, LSC Swag is a socially conscious BIPOC Brand aimed to turn things around in the unjust, unfaithful textile industry.
We are more than just a clothing brand.
As a Latinx-owned and operated brand, we want to position ourselves to be a socially inclusive, responsible and sustainable brand in everything we do.
That is why we unapologetically celebrate diversity, identity and culture, offering inclusive sizing, diverse models and transparent ethical practices.
We know it is a long path to achieve our vision, but we are making the baby steps to build our identity on these lines.
Here are five ways in which we identify LSC Swag to be sustainable and conscious.
1 — Sustainable Production and Printing Practices
Aligning with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, we take pride in our efforts to engulf sustainable production practices in what we do.
Today, the garment industry is one of the largest raw material consumers. Researchers estimate that it will hit 300 million tons by 2050.
The industry does not stop there but goes up a notch by bringing in destruction to the ocean and the amount of micro plastic emissions. This number is estimated to hit 22 million by 2050, which is a serious concern.
The textile industry is water-intensive — use of water for preparation, finishing, and design. The textile industry alone consumes 2.4 trillion gallons of water annually.
And we wanted to change that.
That is why the facilities that print our t-shirts use 7X less water than any other manufacturer. This way, we commit to preserving water.
The facilities that we print our t-shirts operate on solar power. We make it a responsibility to oversee that every bit of the sourced material does not get wasted and thrown away.
Everything that goes into the manufacturing process is environmentally sustainable. That is how we brand our t-shirts to be eco-friendly.
Rather than sticking with the more economical and popular screen printing method, we’ve leaped ahead to use Direct to Garment (DTG) Print to make our products more sustainable.
More importantly, with DTG, we have the opportunity to provide a high-quality print with a lot of attention to detail.
We want to express diversity and the vibrancy through our clothing prints, and there is no better method than DTG that will help us achieve this.
Also, LSG Swag wants to plot the beginning of the circular economy. DTG helps us achieve this.
DTG lets us print high quality products that do not peel easily, even after several washes. We want our customers to use our products for a longer time so that there is less residue.
2 — Made to Order
Besides using sustainable high quality product, we choose to go ahead with Made To Order over the usual bulk production. It’s a no-brainer when considering the ecological benefits.
In the Made to Order model, we print our products only when an order is confirmed. This way, we fulfill several objectives, apart from not just the sustainable aspect.
Made to Order makes us focus more on each product, increasing the quality standard on each item that goes out.
Globally around 13 million tons of textile waste are sent out. The waste calculation does not include the water usage and energy used to produce these items.
According to a recent study, the world would have at least 40 billion square meters worth of textile leftover unused annually.
While the entire world cannot ship to the Made to Order model, we are doing all that we can to reduce the strain on the environment in our little way as possible.
3 — Eco-friendly Packaging
No matter how good your product is, if it comes packed in an environmentally hazardous packaging, the entire effort will be futile.
The packaging you get your LSC Swag in will be either made out of recyclable or biodegradable material.
Our packaging is as sustainable as our product line. The bubble wrap that comes with the product consists of 15% recycled plastic and 10% of post-consumer content.
Most of our packaging is reusable, so that bubble wrap you get can be what you use when you pack a gift for someone.
4 — A dedication to Charity
As a small business, we understand the importance of being responsible to our community. That’s why when you make a purchase, remember that you are contributing to local initiatives that help make life better for marginalized communities.
A portion of our proceeds go to community organizations, and charities help out the ones in need of assistance.
5 — Edgy, Cause Driven Messaging
The eco-friendly clothing, premium stickers and pins are emblazoned with a variety of fun and bold prints. The messaging on the Slay and Stay Woke Collection is authoritative, specific, concise and a must for all forward-thinkers that are looking for big and small ways to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.
The line is intentional and offers a wide range of urban-inspired pieces that are curated to developing social awareness that ultimately leads to concrete actions.
Going beyond business
LSC Swag is more than just a small business. It is a representation of what we believe in and what we aspire to be.
As founder of LSC Swag, “If I can empower people to make socially conscious statements with their fashion sense and cents, then I’m that much closer to helping forge a positive impact in our communities. We can all be agents of change.” ~ Jessica