Conscious Production
What does "conscious production" mean?
It means at miles.works there is a significant amount of thought given to what we produce. By examining what we are doing at every stage of the process insights are gained which ultimately help to minimise our negative impact. These are three criteria we look at, at present in 2022.
1. Durability.
With clothing we source high quality materials. Testing processes and products in the hopes of lessening the frequency of replacement for the consumer and thus minimising waste. Our archival prints are a real testament to this, printed on the finest acid free cotton paper with archival inks. Designed and tested to look as good in 100 years as they do now; heirloom potential.
2. Environment and ethics.
We prefer and seek out recycled paper for our art prints, only opting for something different when there is no reasonable alternative. Environmental consideration within the clothing sees us opting for organic or recycled material where possible. Organic cotton is better for the soil and recycled papers help prevent further depletion of natural resources when there is perfectly useful material already within the production chain.
The clothing which we sell is bought from suppliers with the following internationally accredited certifications:
Our tote bags are organic and heavy duty and this year we are exploring the shift from synthetic headwear to natural wool, with the aim to have the items produced in Scotland.
3. Repurposing waste; making use of production tests.
Repurposing what is produced is a natural way of minimising waste. Instead of discarding misprints and test prints, we make use of them as hang tags for the clothing. Being resourceful is a quality which Miles holds dear; naturally this extends to his values within business.
We are proud of being thoughtful where the planet is concerned and strive to grow our awareness around more sustainable options. Continuing to find and integrate healthier approaches as we gain more knowledge.
4. Production on demand; only producing what is needed.
As of 2022 some of the garments available will be sourced and produced to order. What this means is instead of producing a batch of clothing speculatively, the customer will purchase the product and after this it will go in to production, specifically for the customer - minimising potential waste.