by 2050

Sustainability report

This page sets out our sustainability standard, how each piece we sell measures against it, what we have removed from sale, the shortcomings we know about, and the improvements planned. We are called by 2050 because that is the deadline, not a claim. Last reviewed 24 September 2026.

Net zero progress: 25%

The green arc in our logo is this number. 1 of 8 steps met, 2 partly. It moves only when the evidence below changes.

  1. 01

    Fibre certified organic or recycled

    Both pieces: 100% organic cotton, certified at the maker.

    Met
  2. 02

    Sewing factory named, with its energy source known

    Factory country published (Bangladesh); factory energy not published by either maker.

    Not yet
  3. 03

    Printer running on renewable electricity

    Neither The Print Bar nor Shirt Monkey publishes its energy source.

    Not yet
  4. 04

    Printed in the country of delivery

    One of two pieces printed in Australia; the other flown from the UK.

    Partly
  5. 05

    Packaging recycled or FSC, checked

    The Print Bar: FSC kraft mailers. Shirt Monkey: unknown.

    Partly
  6. 06

    Repair or take-back route

    None yet. Planned once the first orders have shipped.

    Not yet
  7. 07

    Measured footprint per garment

    Estimated freight only; no measured figure.

    Not yet
  8. 08

    Residual emissions removed

    Nothing to remove until the footprint is measured.

    Not yet

Our sustainability standard

Every fibre certified organic or recycled cotton, with the maker's certificate on record. No polyester, recycled or not. A piece that does not meet this standard is not sold on this site.

What applies to every piece

  • Made to order. Nothing is printed until someone orders it. No stock, no end-of-season markdown pile and nothing unsold going to landfill.
  • Organic cotton. Grown without synthetic pesticides or genetically modified seed. It is not grown with less water or on less land, and we do not say it is.
  • Printed where we say. The blanks are sewn overseas. Our tiers name where the printing happens, not where the garment is made, because that is the honest word.

Fabric, origin and certification of each piece

BlankFabricSewn inPrinted inCertified
AS Colour 5001G Staple Organic100% combed organic cotton, 180 gsm (Black and White only; AS Colour marle colours are 15% viscose and we do not sell them)BangladeshBrisbane, AustraliaOrganic cotton as stated by AS Colour; GOTS licence for this garment not yet confirmed to us in writing, amfori BSCI social audit at the sewing factory (per AS Colour)
Stanley/Stella Creator 2.0 (STTU169)100% organic ring-spun combed cotton, 180 gsm. Sold in Black and White only: Heather Grey is a mixed-fibre marle and is not 100% organic cotton.BangladeshWinsford, United KingdomGOTS certified organic cotton at the maker (Stanley/Stella, Control Union licence CU 819434), OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and PETA-Approved Vegan on the blank, Stanley/Stella is a Fair Wear Foundation member (a membership, not a product certification)

Each product page has a section called Sustainability of this piece with the same facts, plus where that piece does better, where it falls short, and what we are changing. Nothing on this site claims a certification the maker does not publish.

Pieces removed from sale, and why

  • Stanley/Stella Cruiser 2.0 (Printify blueprint SASU003). 20% polyester. Our printer lists this hoodie as 80% organic cotton and 20% polyester and does not say the polyester is recycled. Every 100% organic cotton hoodie on our printer is made in the United States, so for now we sell no hoodie rather than a blended one.

Marle and heather colourways are off every piece for the same reason: they are fibre blends, and the makers do not publish the mix at the level we need.

Known shortcomings

  • Sewn in Bangladesh and shipped to Australia before printing. It is printed here, not made here.
  • AS Colour publishes the factory and the fibre but not a GOTS licence number for this tee, so we do not claim one.
  • Organic cotton does not use less water. Water use depends on where the cotton is grown and whether it is irrigated, not on the organic label. We do not claim otherwise.
  • The blank itself is mass-produced and held in stock by the maker and the printer. Made to order removes our unsold stock, not theirs.
  • No measured carbon figure per garment yet. We publish one when we can stand behind it.
  • No repair or take-back scheme yet. When you are done with it, it is on you to pass it on.
  • Flown from Europe to Australia. Our estimate from UK government freight factors is roughly 3 to 9 kg CO2e per parcel, against well under 1 kg for a domestic parcel. Longest trip in the range and the reason for the delivery time.
  • The finished garment is not GOTS certified. GOTS covers every processing stage and our printer does not hold a licence, so the certification stops at the blank.
  • Shirt Monkey publishes no packaging or environmental policy. Until we have an answer in writing we assume a plastic mailer.

Planned improvements

  • Get the garment-level organic certificate from AS Colour in writing, then name it here.
  • Find an Australian-sewn organic blank. None exists on our printer today.
  • Move this blank to an Australian printer the day one carries it.
  • Confirm the marle fibre mix with the maker; if it is organic and recycled cotton only, add the colour back.
  • Publish a measured figure for the UK to Australia leg.

Our goal

The goal is a range where every piece is the most sustainable version of itself that can be bought: certified organic or recycled fibre, sewn and printed as close to you as possible, in packaging we have checked, with a carbon figure we measured, and a way to give it back when you are done. We publish the gap between that and today on this page, and we close it piece by piece.

Questions about any of this: [email protected]. We answer them. Every claim on this page is referenced on the sources page.