Environmental and Sustainability Policy

The very roots of PoM’s business were grown from an ethical base. When the company was first formed over 25 years ago, the key focus was Fair and Sustainable Trade. 

Now more than ever, we understand the vital importance of sustainability and will continue to adapt as we find more environmentally conscious ways to move our business forward.  The following explains the journey we are undertaking to achieve our aims, as well as the sustainability goals we have set ourselves for the future.

What we have achieved so far:

Materials:

• We were one of the first UK based wholesalers of fashion accessories to use RECYCLED POLYESTER in our hat and scarf product ranges

• The REPREVE yarn used in our RECYCLED scarves is made from RECYCLED plastic bottles

• Each scarf uses approximately 7 Bottles. Since we launched this range in Spring of 2020, we have saved over half a million plastic bottles from heading to landfill

• REPREVE uses 70% less energy and 80% less water compared to new fabric preventing landfill waste and the use of fossil fuels
• In Spring 2022 we introduced a 100% recycled plastic bottle scarf that uses 10 plastic bottles to produce
• We have increased our use of VISCOSE in our socks, scarf and hat ranges in place of Polyester. This is a completely renewable and biodegradable material
• We have increased the number of cotton scarves in our range in place of Polyester, which is a natural and biodegradable fabric.
• We are proud to be recognised as leaders in our field as producers of eco-friendly and sustainable products, being awarded the prestigious ‘Gift of the Year’ for our range of recycled polycarbonate sunglasses.
• We are continuing our journey to become a more sustainable supplier, by adding more and more eco-friendly products to our collection every year and working with suppliers who share our values.  We have gone one step further by calculating our annual carbon footprint and mitigating this by planting 5000 trees and sea kelp with the charity ‘Just one tree’

Reducing single use plastics:

• We have switched from plastic bags for our scarves to a paper wrap, where this is possible.

• We re-use and recycle as much of our packaging as possible, using our inward shipping cartons to despatch goods out to our customers, saving rubbish from landfill

• Where we can we have changed our plastic hanging tags from our hats and gloves to a RECYCLED cardboard version, meaning these are fully biodegradable
• We have done away with nylon kimble tags, and now use cotton string and a reusable safety pin to attach swing tags to products from India

Our change of policy:

• We have switched to use 100% low impact renewable electricity in our warehouses and offices

• We have reduced the number of overseas buying trips our directors would normally take and carried out all our product development by email and Zoom, saving more than 13,600 kgs of C02

• By placing Hippo bags into our toilet cisterns at head office, we have reduced our water usage by one litre per toilet each time it is flushed. This is an estimate saving of 7500 litres of water each year.

Goals for the future:

• To continue to increase the amount of RECYCLED materials in our ranges, and work with our suppliers to source GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD materials
• To further reduce the amount of plastic packaging and replace with compostable options or paper alternatives where possible
• To seek out more sustainable materials – and move over to 100% use of BAMBOO viscose. GOT certified Organic Cotton, and to use paper, jute and other 100% natural, biodegradable materials in hats and bags.
• To design our products with longevity in mind, ensuring POM gifts are treasured and not considered ‘Fast Fashion’
• To continue to share ‘Eco’ ideas with our customers and staff, to encourage them to make little changes to their daily habits that will add up to make a difference to us all.