These innovative next generation materials are regenerative and circular, including fibre–to–fibre recycled and agricultural wastes, eg. Recycled wool.

These low impact materials include options that are renewable, biodegradable, as well as sustainably grown and processed, eg. Organic cotton.

These materials have good environmental credentials, and are a better choice than most of their conventional counterparts, eg. Dew retted linen.

We will continue our search for more sustainable or certified options for these materials, eg. Leather.

We are working to phase these materials out. If they are needed for performance and a better option isn’t available, we will aim for less than 10% of the total composition, eg. virgin synthetics.

These materials are not produced in an ethical or environmentally responsible way, and we will not knowingly use them eg. Non Green Shirt rated MMCFs.

We are still researching these materials and will look to rate them in the future, eg. Bio-synthetics.

Cotton is a natural plant fibre. It is known for being breathable, durable and soft. We preference Organic Cotton, Australian Cotton and Regenerative Cotton.

ORGANIC COTTON
Organically grown cotton avoids the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals in the farming process, helping to maintain good soil health, protect waterways and reduce water and nitrogen pollution compared to conventional cotton.

AUSTRALIAN COTTON
Sourcing Australian cotton allows us to support the local Australian industry, with 90% of Australian cotton farms being family owned and operated. Australian cotton growers are also leading the way in innovative environmental approaches. Water used to grow a bale of cotton has decreased by 52% compared to 1997 and the industry is regularly engaging stakeholders to address cotton's climate impact.

REGENERATIVE COTTON
Regenerative agriculture takes a holistic approach to protecting and improving biodiversity, responsibly managing water use, maintaining healthy waterways, and improving soil health.

COTTON WE AVOID
We are signatories to the Cotton Pledges Against Forced Labour. These pledges are a commitment to not knowingly source cotton from Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan due to known human rights violations and forced labour in these supply chains.

Additionally, we do not source from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in China due to forced labour issues known to exist in these supply chains.

To learn more, read our Cotton Commitments.

Viscose and lyocell are both Man Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCFs) that derived from wood sources and processed into textile fibres using a chemical process. There are two main factors that contribute to the final environmental footprint of MMCFs; the source of the fibres, and the processing methods. We preference Canopy Dark Green Shirt rated fibres, including LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and TENCEL™ Lyocell.

CANOPY DARK GREEN SHIRT RATED FIBRES
Canopy is a not-for-profit organisation who assess fibre suppliers, grading their sourcing practices. Through our work with not-for-profit organisation Canopy, we are sourcing more than 95% of our MMCF fibres from producers that have a dark green shirt rating according to the most current CanopyStyle Hot Button Report, which is the highest possible rating.

Hot Button Report.

This ensures our products are at a low risk of being sourced from ancient or endangered forests. To learn more, read our Forest Fabrics policy.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ VISCOSE
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibres are recognised by CanopyStyle and EU Ecolabel certification as meeting high standards for environmental practice. This includes a low risk of sourcing raw materials from ancient or endangered forests, and the recycling of water and chemicals in the processing stages. According to Worldly's life cycle impact assessment data, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded viscose fibres generate up to 50% lower emissions and water impact compared to conventional viscose.

TENCEL™ LYOCELL
TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres are derived from wood sourced from sustainably managed forests. TENCEL™ fibres are produced by LENZING™ who has achieved CanopyStyle’s highest rating of Dark Green Shirt. These fibres have gained a commendable reputation for their environmentally responsible, closed loop production process, which transforms wood pulp into cellulosic fibres with high resource efficiency and low environmental impact compared to conventional production methods. This solvent-spinning process recycles process water and reuses the solvent at a recovery rate of more than 99%.

Linen, hemp and jute are plant-derived bast fibres. These are highly productive crops with low-impact cultivation methods, requiring minimal water, herbicides or pesticides to grow, making it a better environmental choice than many other natural fibres, such as conventionally grown cotton.

Retting, the process of separating the fibres from the plant stalks, can greatly impact the environmental footprint of the finished product, if conducted using water and chemicals. We preference dew retted over chemically retted fibres. Dew retting is a natural process that leaves plants exposed to dew, sunlight and rain to allow the decomposition required to transform the plant for textile use, reducing the environmental impact of the finished fibre.

FRENCH LINEN
Our French linen is grown in the northern regions of France and is naturally dew retted. France is considered to produce the highest quality flax, with ideal climate conditions for growing the flax plant that minimises reliance on irrigation or pesticide use. French linen makes up a majority of all our linen sourced.

HEMP
We classify dew-retted hemp as a preferred fibre and where possible, prioritise its use over its chemically-retted counterpart.

Buying a well-made leather product can be considered an investment that supports slow fashion. It lasts a long time, ages well, and is easy to care for and repair.

Leather production however has a significant environmental footprint, from the farming of livestock through to the processing of hides. To reduce this impact, we preference LWG certified or remnant leathers.

LWG CERTIFIED LEATHER
LWG assesses tanneries on their water use, energy use, waste management, chemical management and traceability; among other key indicators. We preference leathers with an LWG Gold or Silver rating - the highest and second highest LWG ratings.

REMNANT LEATHER
Our remnant program utilises existing leather stocks that our manufacturers have on hand, from our production as well as from other brands, thereby minimising waste. We have a flexible sourcing approach to these leather styles, often buying small quantities across a number of colourways to ensure we can use even very small remnant quantities, a practise not easily adapted to larger brands.

Even when sourcing remnant leathers, we preference those that have been produced by LWG tanneries, to support the production of leathers that meet LWG standards.

Wool is a natural and durable fibre. We primarily use merino sheep wool and alpaca wool in our collections, which are less prone to pilling, and less likely to cause itchiness in comparison to other animal fibres.

The farming of wool can result in potential issues related to animal welfare, land degradation and higher greenhouse gas emissions compared to some other natural fibres, as a result of unsustainable farming practices. In response to these concerns, a number of wool standards have been developed to inform best farming practice when it comes to wool production. These include Textile Exchange’s Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) and Responsible Cashmere Standard (RCS). Wool produced under these standards meet requirements related to the protection of animal welfare, land health preservation, and safety and health of workers. We also continue to explore viable avenues to include recycled wool in our collections.

There are two main types of knitwear production: cut and sew knitwear and fully fashioned knitwear.

At ELK, fully fashioned knitwear is the preferred choice - a high-quality knitting technique that utilizes a zero-waste approach to create seamless, neater finishes. This solution, produced from a single piece of fabric without cutting, aligns perfectly with our commitment to both luxury and sustainability.

ALPACA
Our Alpaca wool is sourced from Peru, where the farming of Alpaca is concentrated in the Peruvian highlands. We classify alpaca wool with RAS certification as a preferred fibre. Where possible, we source RAS alpaca wool as it meets global standards for responsible husbandry practices and environmental care of agricultural land, ensuring that alpaca are treated with respect and soil health, waterways and biodiversity are protected.

MERINO WOOL
Merino sheep are a breed of sheep that grows a softer, finer coat than regular wool, allowing for the production of a softer yarn with a lower likelihood of causing itchiness. We preference merino wool sourced from South Africa or Australia, where we are able to verify that our wool is produced without mulesing.

Mulesing is a process originally introduced to prevent flystrike for sheep living in warmer climates, however, is often considered an inhumane and painful treatment for the animal. Non-mulesed sheep are farmed in a way that uses other, non-invasive methods to prevent flystrike, while protecting the sheep from physical harm.

Where we can, we preference wool produced under the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), providing assurance that the sheep are non-mulesed, and that animal welfare and land preservation meet RWS standards.

Synthetic fibres include polyester, nylon, polyurethane, elastane, and lurex, which are derived from non-renewable fossil fuel sources. These fibres are durable and easy to care for, and advancing technology allows for the production of synthetic fibres that can adopt a number of different properties such as moisture-wicking, temperature regulation and an anti-static finish. When combined with natural fibres, they can offer specialised finishes such as a metallic appearance, unique textures, or simply a longer-lasting garment.

Though they provide favourable qualities, synthetic fibres present a number of environmental concerns. The dependence on oil extraction for production contributes to the depletion of a finite resource. Waste, land use, energy use, carbon emissions, and pollution are all concerning attributes of oil extraction. In addition, garments made from synthetic fibres shed microplastics into waterways, the air, and soils, both when laundered and when discarded at the end of their life.

RECYCLED POLYESTER & NYLON
Recycled synthetic fibres are made from post-industrial and post-consumer waste like plastic bottles. Using recycled synthetics allows for a lower carbon footprint than regular synthetic fibres, however, these recycled materials still contribute to the release of microplastics into the environment.

We choose to use recycled rather than new as part of our commitment to reduce waste and minimise the environmental impact of our products. This approach helps in repurposing waste into new products and keep materials in use for longer. We preference fibres with Global Recycled Standard (GRS) or Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certification.