Environmental Policy

At Goose & Gander, we’re committed to making thoughtful, honest, and sustainable choices in how we operate. As a clothing brand, we recognise the fashion industry’s considerable environmental impact—especially when it comes to overproduction and waste. Navigating this space is not easy. It’s full of conflicting information, greenwashing pitfalls, and evolving standards. But we believe that openness and accountability are the only way forward.

Our Approach to Production

From the start, we’ve done things a little differently. Since 2013, Goose & Gander has run on a made-to-order production model. This approach allowed us to keep our stock levels low and waste to a minimum. By only making what’s needed, we avoided one of the biggest environmental issues in fashion: overproduction. Globally, millions of tonnes of unsold clothing end up in landfill each year. Our made-to-order system helped us side-step that trap for over a decade.

In 2024, we evolved. We moved to a just-in-time, small-batch stockholding method to meet growing demand. But we didn’t want to compromise on our values. We invested in better warehouse infrastructure and smarter systems—so much so that, even with a 500% increase in order volume, we still operate in the same physical space we moved into back in 2018. This kind of efficiency keeps our footprint in check.

Energy Use and Future Improvements

We’ve taken tangible steps to reduce our energy consumption at HQ. Solar panels now power a significant portion of our operations, and we’re looking to go further. One of our goals in the near future is to properly calculate our total energy use across the business. With better data, we can make more informed choices and keep pushing towards a lower-carbon model.

Packaging and Materials

Packaging is a constant work in progress. Currently, we use recyclable kraft material for all our mailing bags. And by the end of 2025, we’re aiming to roll out compostable garment bags. These bags have a shelf life—which means managing order quantities is tricky—but we’re working closely with suppliers to get the balance right.

On the product side, we’ve started stocking some accessories made from recycled materials. While we’re excited to expand this part of our range, we’re also aware of the complications. Many factories produce recycled plastic from virgin sources purely to label it as "recycled"—a contradiction that undermines the intention. We’re being cautious and selective in this space, because we want to make real, traceable improvements.

Giving Back and Global Impact

We believe sustainability isn’t just about carbon—it’s also about people. That’s why we’ve chosen to support community-based environmental work through Rory’s Well, a grassroots initiative in Sierra Leone. Our donation is currently sponsoring two villages: Nongowa and Ngeyawamei.

Both villages already have access to clean water and are now part of a well maintenance programme. They’re also benefitting from sustainable farming and women-led agriculture projects, including rice swamp development and bee farming. This is where we see real, meaningful impact—supporting communities to grow in a way that’s regenerative for both people and the planet.

“We were moved by the honesty and passion of Tony from Rory’s Well. It was clear that even a modest donation could make a real difference.”
— Olly, Goose & Gander Co-Founder

 

The Grey Areas and Where We Stand

We’ll be honest: offsetting carbon emissions is murky territory. With so many schemes lacking transparency and accountability, we’ve chosen to put our focus into direct community projects and on-the-ground improvements rather than rely heavily on offsets. It’s not perfect—but we believe it's the most genuine approach for now.

And that’s the truth of it: sustainability isn’t a checkbox or a badge. It’s a long, often messy process of learning, unlearning, and adapting. We’re not here to say we’ve got it all figured out—but we are here to do the work and share the journey.

If you have ideas, feedback, or know of projects that can help us improve our environmental impact—we’d love to hear from you.

Whether it’s a new material, a local initiative, or a way to do things more efficiently, we would love to hear about it. 

You can reach us at info@gooseandganderltd.com