When deciding to produce Koala merchandise I took the time and effort to find the right fit, design and cut for you – and also the right ethical fit for me regarding production; taking into consideration the social and environmental impact of these choices.
I also sourced a postal service to align with my environmental values.
You can wear your Koala garments proudly and with a clear conscious!

SOCIALLY ETHICAL FACTORY

Our South East Asian based factory prides itself on working conditions that are not unlike those of Australia or other western countries. 
Working hours are 8.30am till 5.30 pm, with 1 hour for lunch. They offer overtime from time to time which is usually only 3 hours, providing dinner for those that choose to work overtime. 
The youngest worker is 18 years old but the average age employee is 30. Each employee has very good medical insurance. Our factory chooses pay for the insurance for all staff and their families. Unlike many offshore garment producers, our factory transparently pays the correct taxes to the government, which in return benefits the people. They follow work related legislation, including paying the correct wages and insurance. 

Many producers in China and Bangladesh are paid daily wages and have a target quantity they need to reach per day. Our sewers are paid on piecework which allows them to grow their income as the business grows. Our screen printing department is subcontracted to one of our workers. He chooses to employ his family and friends to help him grow his business. Above all, the team can laugh and joke and play music. The biggest problem on the floor is the clash between loud 90s rock music in the screen printing department and traditional music in the sewing department.

ECO – CONSCIOUS PRODUCTION

The apparel industry in one of the most polluting and resource hungry on the planet. From using pesticides in the production of cotton to releasing toxic dye into waterways, the industry has a lot to answer for when it comes to environmental damage. 
At our factory it is our highest priority to understand the industry completely and source the least harmful, sustainable production methods available.

COLD PAD BATCH (CPB) DYEING
The CPB technology utilised by our factory uses 80% less water than the conventional vat dyeing method. The latter requires very large quantities  of salt and water to allow the colour to stick to the fabric. The salt water needs to be disposed of after dyeing and, without the correct system, is usually disposed of into natural water ways and rivers, destroying the ecology. 
CPB dyeing requires no salt, the colour is rolled into the fabric through a press roller. This method is highly effective and creates far less wastage. We are happy to dye our fabric from the only CPB dyer in South East Asia.

AUSTRALIAN AND AMERICAN COTTON
Our raw cotton is sourced from Australia and the USA, two countries that are highly regulated and produce high quality long stable cotton. The benefit of high quality cotton is that it produces longer lasting garments. Our standard fabric is dyed using AZO free Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified dyes in the most advanced facility available. (To attain Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, the fabric has been tested and certified to be free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to be harmful to human health).

To remove all shrinkage from our finished T shirts, fabric is cut and washed before producing garments. Our producer’s laundry doesn’t use any chemical based detergents and also produces eco-friendly detergents made completely from plants.
The screen printing process is done with Japanese water-based inks which are also Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified and 100% free of PVC, dangerous phthalates, formaldahyde , heavy metals, AZO compounds and non-ylphenol xenoestrogens.  Screen prints are cleaned using a distilling method that allows separation and removal of inks by drying and removing them from the waste water.
Individual items packing bags are made from cassava starch and are 100% compostable. No oil based plastic lands in Australia from our factory at all. 

Our factory’s director is the founder of two major clean up initiatives/not for profits that mirror Australia’s ‘Keep Australia Beautiful’ in South East Asia. 

100% CARBON NEUTRAL DELIVERY

Consumers are becoming better informed and more aware of the environmental impact of products and the services supporting them. 
Sendle was founded as Australia’s first 100% carbon neutral delivery service, and maintain that commitment to this day. 
Because Sendle believes that sending a parcel shouldn’t cost the earth.

WHAT IS CARBON NEUTRAL?
Increased carbon dioxide (and equivalent) – CO₂e – levels are a significant and harmful contributor to climate change.
Most people don’t consider the environmental impact of their online shopping deliveries – just clickety-click and, like magic, it’s on your doorstep. But the logistics involved generate a huge amount of CO₂ – over 10% of global C0₂e emissions are from transport and logistics. Being carbon neutral means that your net release of CO₂e into the atmosphere is zero.
Basically, whatever CO₂e you emit is cancelled out by a process known as ‘offsetting’ – that is, supporting projects that reduce emissions, like regenerating precious forest, replacing old equipment with more efficient technology, or even training communities in beekeeping!

FREE SHIPPING*

To say thank you to my regular shoppers I have added free shipping to orders over $100 for shipments within Australia. 
I have also dropped the price for shipping patches so you can pack your cart to the brim!

ONGOING SUPPORT

Through purchasing Koala merchandise you directly support my career and contribution to the BJJ community, allowing me to skills develop further and enabling me to share this expertise with our community via projects such as Australian Girls in Gi.