The what, why, and how behind our sustainable products
We want Off the Wax to be a sustainable and responsible brand in all the possible ways. Most surf brands say they care about the ocean. Very few will tell you which standard they are certified to, or where their claims run out. Here is ours, in plain language.
The blanks
Every Off the Wax hoodie is built on a certified organic blank. Every one of them is 280 gsm, so the line is one consistent weight and the choice is about pocket, sleeve and sizing, not thickness.
- Side Pocket, 85% organic ring-spun combed cotton and 15% recycled polyester, brushed and washed soft
- Mid-Weight, 80% organic cotton and 20% recycled polyester, fleece-back interior
- Raglan, 100% organic cotton on the outer face, 80/20 organic and recycled lining, XS to 3XL
What the certifications actually cover
These are third-party audited standards, not things we decided about ourselves. You can look up every one.
GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard, covers the organic fibre content and the whole processing chain, including restrictions on dyes and finishing chemicals.
OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 tests the finished garment for harmful substances. Every component, down to the thread.
Fair Wear Foundation independently audits labour conditions in the factories that make the blanks.
PETA-Approved Vegan means no animal-derived materials.
Organic cotton
Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. It uses less water than conventional cotton and it keeps a lot of chemistry out of the soil and out of the water table.
Recycled fabrics
Recycled polyester is made by reusing materials already available in the world, mostly water bottles and other plastics, instead of making new plastic from oil.
Ecological dyes
We print direct-to-garment with water-based inks. It produces almost zero wastewater and uses less energy than traditional clothing manufacturing.
Made only after you order it
We only produce items we get an order for, avoiding textile waste from overproduction. Nothing is printed until someone buys it, which means we never make a run that ends up discounted, warehoused or landfilled.
Where our claims stop
We would rather tell you this than have you find it out.
- Shipping has a footprint. Print-on-demand means your hoodie is made in the fulfilment centre closest to you, which shortens the trip. It does not remove it.
- The recycled polyester is still plastic. It is in there for shape retention. We think the trade is worth it, and we would rather name it than bury it.
- We are not carbon neutral. We have not bought offsets and we are not going to claim a status we have never measured.
- Organic cotton still uses water. Less than conventional, and without the synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. But it is not free.
Where we want to get to
Fully circular. One day we would like to sell only previously owned Off the Wax items. We are not there and we are not pretending to be.
The simplest thing
Buy one good hoodie and wear it for ten years. That beats anything on this page, including everything we sell. If you are not sure you will wear it that long, do not buy it.