"This is the generation that can make peace with nature."
Today, in honour of World Environment Day, at P.E Nation we're taking a moment to look at the pathways we've carved so far on our sustainability journey. Protecting people and planet has been a priority for us from the outset. Five years into our journey as a brand, we are genuine in our passion and pursuit of the betterment of our practices, learning and adjusting as we go, and constantly striving for improvements across our supply chain.
P.E Nation Sustainability Edit
Today, 90% of our Active fabrics are made using recycled or regenerated materials, and we have switched to 100% organic cotton across our collections.
In the past 12 months, 72% of P.E Nation's designs have been made using sustainable fabrications or natural yarns - more than double the 34% of our SKUs in the previous year. Much of this is down to the passion for sustainability within our team, and the dedicated staff within our product development department whose sole focus is sustainability.
The proportion of regenerated materials within each of our styles is significant and ever-increasing, too. The recently released In Goal Short features 92% recycled polyester.
And our Half Court Jacket is made in collaboration with Waste2Wear from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles (RPET) - a circular wardrobe staple that doesn't compromise on signature P.E quality, style, look and feel. RPET fabric not only reduces plastic waste, it consumes 70% less energy, 75% less CO2 and 86% less water compared with non-recycled fabrics.
P.E Nation x i=Change
The theme of this year's World Environment Day is Ecosystem Restoration. From rewilding urban landscapes to planting more trees, there are immeasurable big and little things every one of us can decide to do.
Through our partnership with i=Change, we're able to further support ecosystem restoration through our alliance with Restore The Reef. And from June 8, we'll also be connected with Seabin, to help support their incredible work in cleaning our oceans and waterways of manmade debris, misplaced trash and microplastics.
P.E Nation x Thread Together
As much as it's important to focus on reducing and reversing the environmental impact of our products, sustainability to us requires a 360-degree, holistic approach. It's vital to protect people and do what we can to help others in our communities. We're proud members of Sedex, Australian Trusted Trader and the Ethical Trading Initiative to support responsible sourcing and practices across our supply chain, and to align with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We also partner with Thread Together. An Australian not-for-profit organisation founded in 2012, Thread Together takes brand-new clothes and retired stock from fashion labels, to divert clothes from landfill and to provide clothes at no cost to those in the community who need it most, from people impacted by bushfires and floods, to the homeless, to victims of domestic and family abuse. As well as regularly donating clothes to Thread Together, P.E Nation customers can also donate to the charity through our i=Change portal at checkout. The P.E Nation team has also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Thread Together fulfilment centre, which you can read about here.
Our Conscious Nation
We've taken many steps so far, and are committed to doing everything we can to make a meaningful impact. To be a responsible part of the fabric of everyday life, we need to ensure how we tread ties in with a future that's better for everyone - and we're grateful you're taking these steps and contributing with us.
"It's easy to lose hope when we think of the sheer magnitude of the challenges that we face, and the avalanche of bad news that we wake up to every morning. But just as we caused the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis and the pollution crisis, we can reverse the damage that we've done. We can be the first generation to reimagine, to recreate and to restore nature; to kickstart action for a better world. So, this World Environment Day, as we launch the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, we can all be the instruments of change, and safeguard what matters most: Nature, Health, Wellbeing and Prosperity." - Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
To learn more about our sustainability journey and ethical trading practices, click through to Our Conscious Nation.
To read about our partnership with i=Change, click here.