Fresh Cotton x Dopper 

Fresh Cotton: sustainability words of wisdom

One month, two cool milestones in the fight against plastic pollution. In April, our iconic Dopper Original, the original trailblazer, got an upgrade. Nine new colours divided into three spectacular colour collections, so there's always a reusable water bottle that suits you.

Milestone number two? Fresh Cotton, the Netherlands’ biggest, exclusive streetwear store, provided the icing on the cake by joining the Dopper Wave against single-use plastic water bottles. Huzzah.

Waterful world To create a ‘waterful world’ Fresh Cotton has promised to stop using single-use plastic water bottles, always drink tap water when possible and to inspire others to join the Wave. It’s a move that fits perfectly with their sustainability approach of being conscious of your own environment and of the influence you have on it. Fresh Cotton (literally) sat down 5 of their team members to get their thoughts on sustainability, water conservation and the plastic soup. The goal? To inspire others to also live more consciously and reduce waste. Obviously, we’re all for that, so we’re happy to share the interviews below.

What are you doing towards sustainability as an individual?

On the topic of fashion, I like to inform myself about brands that are making an effort to do the world as little harm as possible and I try to mostly buy from brands that are somewhat transparent in their processes. I’m aware that some of the fashion brands i’m into are not 100% there yet, but it helps to know they are working on becoming more sustainable and give back to the world as much as possible. I like my products to last and to use them for years. Everything I buy is well-considered, therefore I never have to return an item, which prevents shipping back and forth a product by truck and thus minimizes the CO2 impact of that purchase.

Next to that I often buy second-hand items. There’s already so much good stuff out there, we don’t always need the newest and latest. Also, it’s a nice way to buy something unique, which isn’t widely available anymore. When i’m done wearing a piece of clothing I donate or sell the item, so it can have a second life. Just throwing stuff out in the trash while it’s still wearable and in good condition is such a waste. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? I also hate to read about brands burning off-season items.

Next to this, I forced myself some years ago to not use plastic if there’s a good and easy alternative. For example, bringing a tote bag while doing groceries instead of buying a single-use plastic bag every time. I also stopped buying drinks in plastic bottles and always bring my bottle of water with me.

Besides that, i’m trying to be very mindful about which foods and drinks I consume. How have they been produced? How are they packaged? Do they have any negative impact on the world? Etc. I base my decisions on the answers to these questions and 99% of the time this leads me to vegetarian or vegan choices.

You work at freshcotton, a fashion retailer, how do you think a fashion company can help the environment & water waste?

Working in fashion retail and helping the environment is of course a tricky one. I don’t have all the answers yet, but we must make the effort where and when we can. So, I think a fashion company can help the environment and water waste. Even small steps can make a huge impact in the long run. We can start with ourselves and make small changes to minimize the impact we, as a team, have on the environment. Using a dopper bottle is the perfect example. It’s such an easy thing to adjust in our daily lives but will cut down the number of plastic bottles being used in the office massively.

Next to this, we need to be critical towards the brands we sell and do our best to use our platform to inform our customers and followers. We can tell more about the sustainable steps a lot of the brands we sell are taking, share some background on production, inform about the impact of shipping, how to recycle shipping material etc.

Do you have any tips to others to join the wave?

Just start easy and take it step by step. Like I mentioned earlier, even small steps can make a huge impact in the long run!

During work & at the office, what are daily actions you take to help the ocean's environment?

Banning single-use plastics in the office is a nice step to help the ocean’s environment. Maybe introduce a vegan lunch day once a week could be a fun way to make everyone in the office more aware of our food habits and this case especially the impact of fish consumption on the ocean.

When did you realise that you needed to do something about sustainability? And who/what persuaded you to do so?

I’ve been familiar with the idea of sustainability for quite some time now, but during my study Fashion & Branding at AMFI we’ve touched this topic repeatedly and intensively as this was an important matter throughout all projects. Also reading the book ‘Let my people go surfing' by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of the brand Patagonia, has been very insightful regarding the environmental focus they have as a company. In my spare time, I really enjoy being out in nature for a nice walk or run and seeing all the (plastic) waste people just throw on the ground there makes me rather angry. This simple example reminds me there is still so much to do to inform people and protect our planet.

What are you doing towards sustainability as an individual?

When I buy clothes I always look where it has been produced and if it's sustainable. I also buy secondhand clothing, especially jeans. I try to buy as 'green' as possible. Also, I buy items that can be worn with multiple options. Besides this, I always use a reusable water bottle and I try to separate waste.

During work & at the office, what are daily actions you take to help the ocean's environment?

I try to use as few materials as possible. When I need to ship something I try to reuse packages. Also separating waste at the office.

When did you realise that you needed to do something about sustainability? And who/what persuaded you to do so?

Partly thanks to my school, I have become much more aware. Documentaries such as riverblue were also an eye-opener for me. In addition, I noticed when you re-use things and also think more consciously, you get less waste.

You work at freshcotton, a fashion retailer, how do you think a fashion company can help the environment & water waste?

By collaborating with a brand that is also striving to be more sustainable. The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter and therefore changes must be made and are made. Recycled clothing, recycled packaging, recycle as much as possible. Do what must be done.

Do you have any tips to others to join the wave?

Just do it. It saves you money to use reusable bottles and you have less waste. In the end, it’s a win for everyone.

What are you doing towards sustainability as an individual?

I make sure that I recycle and reuse as much as possible. And I sell or donate unused clothing items.

During work & at the office, what are daily actions you take to help the ocean's environment?

I use public transport to get to the office. I never use single-use plastic.

When did you realise that you needed to do something about sustainability? And who/what persuaded you to do so?

During my studies, there was a lot of talk about sustainability in the fashion world. Because of this, I started watching a lot of documentaries about sustainability. Now I try to prevent as much pollution as possible.

You work at freshcotton, a fashion retailer, how do you think a fashion company can help the environment & water waste?

For a fashion company its important to recycle materials, minimise plastic or don’t use it at all, that’s even better. Recycle the materials. In my opinion, it starts with the company itself because then the company also radiates it to the customer.

Do you have any tips to others to join the wave?

Be conscious of what you use, this small step will already help you to join you ‘the wave’.

What are you doing towards sustainability as an individual?

I’m the co-founder of sabbatical. Sabbatical is a vintage company where we sell vintage clothing like t-shirts, sweaters and jackets. Giving clothing a new life and telling the stories from the 80s and the 90s through used garments is a great feeling. Within sabbatical we have a segment called sabbatical recycle program where we turn t-shirts inside out en print on the front and backside of the t-shirt. We’re constantly looking for clothes that we can recycle into something cool.

Personally, I really hate fast fashion and don't like the overproduction of garments, the way they make it and how they treat their employees. I think that’s my biggest contribution to sustainability. Of course there more things I do but I will touch on that in the other questions below.

During work & at the office, what are daily actions you take to help the ocean's environment?

I try to reduce my use of plastic as much as I can. When I drink water I always use a dopper instead of a plastic bottle. When we use shipping materials we try to use the same boxes etc. Over and over again.

When did you realise that you needed to do something about sustainability? And who/what persuaded you to do so?

My roots are from indonesia so I try to go every year or every other year. Five years back when I was travelling from jakarta all the way to bali I closed so many different city’s and small villages and noticed how much plastic is used. Not only the use of plastic but also the waste of plastic is everywhere. On the streets, creeks, lakes, sea, basically everywhere. When you see that in real life it’s super concerning. That made me realise that it's becoming a super big worldwide problem and we have to do something.

You work at freshcotton, a fashion retailer, how do you think a fashion company can help the environment & water waste?

It’s always hard when you work in fashion and especially when you operate online because of all the shipping. I think the biggest change you can make is in the shipping material, the use of unnecessary plastic and don’t use any plastic bottles etc. Inside the office.

Do you have any tips to others to join the wave?

Just look around you and think about the use of things. Inside your house, office, store etc. We’re the generation that’s aware of the problem and can make a change. Although there is a lot of what the governments and other leaders of the world can do about climate change, it all starts with your own behaviour. Use a dopper when you like to drink water, separate your trash and beware where you get your products from. Last but not least beware of what you eat and where you get it from. Together we can make a change, let’s be kind to the world.

What are you doing towards sustainability as an individual?

I've got a lot to improve but try my best. I try to buy as little plastic as possible, buy vintage clothing regularly instead of new clothing. I only take short showers, and I bring my old clothing to a recycling bin.

During work & at the office, what are daily actions you take to help the ocean's environment?

At the office, I try to reduce my plastic use to a minimum.

When did you realise that you needed to do something about sustainability? And who/what persuaded you to do so?

I got influenced by a friend who was more conscious than I was at that time. Also, I got inspired by watching documentaries about sustainability.

You work at freshcotton, a fashion retailer, how do you think a fashion company can help the environment & water waste?

I think it’s important to reduce the plastic use in packaging to a minimum, try not to take part in fast fashion. Last but not least use your platform to raise awareness.

Do you have any tips to others to join the wave?

I’m still learning new things every day and have much more to learn, so my tip would be to educate yourself in the best way you can and act on what you learn. Get better every day.