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TEE MILL

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.TEE MILL.

Circular Fashion

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The future remade.

TeeMill's products are designed to be sent back to them when they're worn out. They make new products from the material they recover… again and again.

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Resource

Every year 100 billion new items of clothing are produced while a truck full of clothing is burned, or buried in a landfill every second. Slowing fast fashion down a bit won't fix it. But when we take the waste material at the end, and make new products from it at the start, it changes everything. That's what we've done.

Our products and packaging are made from natural materials, not plastic. And every product we make is designed to be sent back to us when it is worn out.

They make new products from the material they recover, and the cycle itself is renewable. Their products can be returned and remade again and again and again.

A pure material makes remanufacturing possible, and means products that are softer, and not harmful to the environment.

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Remanufacturing

Huge problems call for huge solutions. So they created a platform to share access to our circular supply chain online. Teemill means that anyone with an internet connection can use their systems, for free, and start their own brand. 

Their technology automates the complex decision making required to run a real time supply chain for the tens of thousands of startups, brands and charities connected to their factory via the cloud. In their modern process, products are only made in real time - in the seconds after they are ordered - so there is no waste inventory.

Like Airbnb or Uber, modern technology is disrupting the fashion industry and for us, conscientious application of tech means we can make sustainable fashion a reality. The future of fashion is circular, and we are building it on the cloud today.

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In Detail:

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Organic Farming

Organic cotton is better for the producers and the ecosystem in which it is produced. Instead of more toxic pesticides and fertilisers, co planting and insect traps are used along with the special ingredient - cow poo. It encourages biodiversity and leads to the extra soft feel of our products.

Fewer inputs also mean less water, but even organic cotton is still a thirsty crop. So where you grow it matters. The fields that grow the organic cotton for our products are in the North of India, where the monsoons fill reservoirs that supply almost all the water needed.

  • Rainwater, co planting, insect traps and cow poo

  • GOTS certified organic

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Processing

Organic cotton looks like a little bit of cotton wool bursting from a dry flower. The petals and seeds need to be removed before it can be spun. Harvested organic cotton is taken to ginning plants by camel or by truck. From there the raw material is separated out into the useful fibres which are sent to be spun. The waste seeds are pressed into cakes which is sold for organic cow feed. Vegetable oil is squeezed out last for use in food products. Every part of the plant is used.

Cotton farmers get a price for their cotton which is guaranteed by the regional government. Great quality batches get higher prices as ginners compete for the best stuff.

  • Energy in

  • Cow food out

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Water clean enough to drink

Wastewater from dyehouse effluent is a major source of pollution in the clothing industry. Where our fabrics are dyed, the water is recovered, cleaned and recirculated. After settling and skimming the water is filtered using reverse osmosis and distillation. This is basically sucking up water through really fine sand over and over, then boiling it.

Salt is added back in so that the dye adheres and all the cruddy mulchy stuff leftover is dried out and used for road markings. About 95% of the water is recirculated and recovered.

At the end, the water coming out of the filters and going back round to be reused again is crystal clear, literally clean enough to drink. Once it has been cleaned it is then used at the input for the next batch. It is a closed loop system.

  • Recirculated water

  • Clean, filtered and reused

  • Wastewater is drinkable

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Making Products

Their products are made in a factory where the spinning, dye, weaving, cut and sew are integrated. Vertical integration leads to cost savings which can be reinvested in the facilities. This means that the environment is clean, light, modern and positive, like our factory in the UK.

Their reputation for consistent quality is a large part down to 21st century manufacturing principles at this stage and the fact that people and product don't travel along a complex supply chain.

That also makes it easier to ensure compliance, and this factory is audited for a wide range of social and sustainability criteria. The plant is powered by renewable energy.

  • SA8000 Certified (Social Accountability audit)

  • GOTS certified

  • Renewable Energy power

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Renewable Energy

Throughout our supply chain renewable energy is used. In the UK they own a solar farm and power manufacturing operations with renewables. In India, the factory owns two wind farms and a 150kw PV array. Renewable energy is affordable, reliable and something the are committed to investing in.

Within their factory machine-to-machine communications technology allows them to dynamically turn equipment on and off only when it is needed, balancing their manufacturing demand with on site generation.

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Real-time printing

Teemill develops technology at our factory to improve all aspects of t-shirt printing. This includes working on lower impact inks, software, machinery and automation technologies. It enables us to make products in real time. At our factory, products are only made after they have been ordered - there is no waste. We share the benefits of this technology free with startups and charities at Teemill.com

The efficiency and productivity gains from our tech balance the cost of more sustainable materials. Tech is how we make all this affordable. It also means we can invest more in our team. Our vocational training programs have helped over 40 young people on the Isle of Wight get into full-time work.

  • High-tech, low waste

  • Certified GOTS organic

  • Open access technology

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Packaging

By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. This is bad. Instead of plastic packaging, They use a rip and splash-proof mailer bag made out of paper. Big orders come in cardboard boxes, with paper-based tape.

As well as designing out plastic, they are attempting to design out waste. The two things are interconnected as they have found that they can use some of our waste material in their packaging. 

Recently they have been working on new stickers and packaging that is made from the recycled organic cotton offcuts from t-shirt manufacturing.

  • Funky paper wrapping

  • Recycled material stickers

  • Plastic-free packaging

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Our Circular Economy

Every year 100 billion new items of clothing are produced while a truck full of clothing is burned, or buried in a landfill every second. Slowing fast fashion down a bit won't fix it. But when they take the waste material at the end and make new products from it at the start, it changes everything. That's what they have done.

Their products and packaging are made from natural materials, not plastics. Every product is designed to be sent back to them when it is worn out.

They make new products from the material they recover, and the cycle itself is renewable. Their products can be returned and remade again and again and again.

A pure material makes remanufacturing possible and means products that are softer, and harmless to the environment.

  • Products designed to be remade again

  • No plastic, just organic cotton

  • We remake new products from material


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.COMPANY MISSION.

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Please visit www.teemill.com for further information

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Goal 12 wants to make us think twice about the things we use, the waste we create, and how that impacts the planet. Changing our behaviour towards more sustainable actions such as recycling really makes a difference when everyone -that includes individuals, companies, government - contributes.

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