In a world that’s often filled with unnecessary toxins—in our products, our relationships, even our thoughts—it’s time to detox. Subset’s new Quartz color collection celebrates softness, strength, and clarity, much like its crystal namesake. But why stop with your wardrobe? This season, we’re taking a stand for all things non-toxic—from your underwear drawer to your self-care rituals.

Whether you’re treating yourself or shopping for someone who deserves a little extra love, this gift guide is packed with sustainable, non-toxic, and meaningful finds. Because we prefer products much like we prefer our relationships: non-toxic. 

The Quartz Collection: A Hug You Can Wear

Let’s start with the foundation of it all: you. Our Quartz collection brings a soft pink hue to our much-loved line of organic, non-toxic innerwear. It’s the kind of color that feels like a deep breath or a quiet moment, and it’s designed to pair beautifully with everything: from cozy weekend sweats to your favorite sustainable denim.

Made with GOTS-certified organic cotton, Subset’s innerwear is free from harmful chemicals and dyes, making it as kind to your skin as it is to the planet. Each piece feels like a gentle reminder to prioritize yourself: soft, supportive, and completely uncompromising. It’s more than just underwear—it’s a declaration of self-love.

So, while you’re slipping into something that treats your skin with care, why not extend that philosophy to the rest of your life? 

Below, we’ve curated a list of gift ideas [that we’re in love with] to help you or your loved ones live a little softer, a little clearer, and a lot less toxic.

Non-Toxic Gifts That Keep Giving

1. A Weighted Blanket That Feels Like a Hug

• Product Pick: Bearaby Cotton Napper
• Why It’s Non-Toxic: Made from organic cotton and free from synthetic fillers, this weighted blanket delivers comfort without compromise. Perfect for grounding yourself after a long day.
• Self-Love Spin: Cozying up under a weighted blanket is a reminder to pause, breathe, and prioritize your well-being.

2.  A Candle That Won't Pollute Your Air

• Product Pick: Primally Pure Candles [Sweet Floral Sage scent]
• Why It’s Non-Toxic: Made with clean-burning beeswax and housed in recycled glass jars, their candles are free from chemicals and fragrances. We also love their recycling program [reminds us of ours!]
• Self-Love Spin: Lighting a candle sets the mood for mindfulness. This one creates a toxin-free space to find your calm, reflect and recharge.

3.   A Water Bottle That’s Better for You and the Planet

• Product Pick: Aarke Stainless Steel Bottle
• Why It’s Non-Toxic: Stainless steel keeps your water clean and crisp, without leaching harmful chemicals like PFAs or microplastics. We like using this one as our go-to water source, carbonated or not.
• Self-Love Spin: Staying hydrated is a simple but powerful way to care for yourself, and this chic bottle makes it feel luxurious.

4.   Clean Skincare That Actually Works

• Product Pick: Herbivore Phoenix Rosehip Face Oil
• Why It’s Non-Toxic: Herbivore’s skincare gives your skin a beautiful, radiant glow with all-natural ingredients. And it feels great on your skin.
• Self-Love Spin: Enhance your natural beauty without masking it. Because your skin deserves the same love you give everyone else.
  

5.  Non-Toxic Innerwear That's as Honest as You Are

• Product Pick: Subset Quartz Triangle Soft Bra & Mid-Rise Bikini  
• Why It’s Non-Toxic: GOTS certified organic cotton, ethically made, and dyed without harmful chemicals—this is innerwear that puts you first.
• Self-Love Spin: Nothing says “I care about myself” more than upgrading your most basic layers to soft, safe and sustainable styles in the sweetest hue. 

The Power of Non-Toxic Choices

When you surround yourself with products that are as intentional as Subset’s organic cotton collection, you’re making a statement: you’re worth it. Non-toxic choices aren’t just about avoiding harm—they’re about embracing care, clarity, and love in every area of your life.

This Valentine’s season, let’s give gifts that truly nurture. Whether it’s the perfect pair of organic cotton briefs or a touch of blush that shows off your inner glow, these gifts are more than just gestures—they’re tools for living with love and intention.

Slip into a Quartz Essential Robe, light a fragrance-free candle, and pour yourself a mindful matcha. Here’s to safe fabrics, soft moments, and a life free from the toxic stuff—because you deserve nothing less.

When we started Subset, we were adamant about weaving sustainability into every facet of the business. Not only did that include making the most sustainable garments on the market, but taking responsibility for them after they get to you. We prioritized considering the entire lifecycle of our products, beyond the point of sale - because as producers, we want to take responsibility for what we put out into the world. When considering products beyond customer use, Undies hold a unique place in the waste stream. Mainly, because they are essentially single-user garments: they cannot be donated, they cannot be resold, and [according to hygienists] they should not be worn for more than a year. This leads to a great amount of textile waste derived from the undergarment industry worldwide - in fact, more broadly - clothes and other textiles made up almost 8% of all trash that was sent to landfills according to a 2021 report.¹

That’s why we created the world’s first Recycling Program for intimates, enabling anyone to send us their worn-out undies, seen-better days socks, ripped tights and stretched-out bras from any brand safe disposal and secondary use. In the beginning, we weren’t sure how many people would take advantage of the program, but it became clear very quickly that we had filled a much needed service, and we are proud to say that we have recycled over half-a-million items of clothing since our launch!

So what happens to the products you recycle?

First, the items are unpackaged and sorted into categories by product type and material makeup. Lightly used bras are captured, sterilized and donated to communities who need them. The remaining goods are graded based on composition - with a focus on distinguishing cotton-rich garments from synthetic blends. Cotton-rich garments are reserved for textile-to-textile recycling processes, and eventually made into recycled yarn for reuse in apparel manufacturing. That said, the majority of intimates on the market are made from fossil-fuel-derived synthetic fibers that cannot be recycled at this time. In order to put this massive amount of textile waste to good use, we break it down into a fiber lint substance known as shoddy - which is a substance that can be used across many applications, including furniture batting, wall insulation, composite molding and more! 

Diverting textile waste from ending up in landfills has always been a mission of ours, but there’s something in it for you, too! For every box of goods you send in to Subset, you'll get $25 off your next order. A win for you, and the earth! Get started with our Recycling Program today.

Footnotes

1. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/textiles-material-specific-data#:~:text=Landfills%20received%2011.3%20million%20tons,percent%20of%20all%20MSW%20landfilled.

Think back: even just five years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find any mainstream information on microplastics. But fast forward to today, and it feels like the problem of microplastics is pervasively mentioned across all industries. We hear about the microplastics found in seafood, in our waterways, and even more recently, our bloodstreams.

Since plastic was brought into the consumer marketplace in the mid-twentieth century (Yes, that’s how recent of an invention it is), these tiny fragments have been shedding from food containers, water bottles, tires, and even our clothes - just to name a few. Plastic, and its pollution of our environment, have become so ubiquitous that some anthropologists have referred to this recent period in human history as the “Plasticene.” 

When you imagine microplastics, the image conjured is usually of small pieces of hard plastic that have broken off of their larger counterparts. However, microplastics can also come in the form of fibers - such as the lint you pick off of your yoga pants. These types of microplastics come from synthetic fabrics commonly found in our clothing, like polyester and nylon. Because the fibers of these fabrics are even smaller than you’d expect, they have even more risk of ending up in our water, our air and our food. What’s more, many fabrics - synthetic or not - are dyed and finished using toxic chemicals that easily adhere to the fiber. These chemicals can then end up in places they shouldn’t be, such as waterways and food systems,  just by riding on the back of a tiny piece of lint. 

Many of the chemicals used to make and finish plastic and synthetic fibers have been known to have adverse effects on the health of humans and animals, from disrupting the body’s endocrine system, to causing asthma. And while studies on the human health impacts of microplastics are sparse - it is clear that the larger plastics they come from are not 100% safe. 

Microplastics are just another reason why we avoid synthetic fabrics and stick with GOTS-certified organic cotton. Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers, and because our entire supply chain is GOTS-certified, you can be sure that all of our dyes are just as safe. 

Sources Cited

1. Microplastics are in our bodies: how much do they harm us. National Geographic. 25 April 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/microplastics-are-in-our-bodies-how-much-do-they-harm-us. 
2. Potential Effects of Microplastics and Additives of Concern on Human Health. National Library of Medicine. 17 February 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7068600/
3. Potential health effects of Microplastics and other pathogens. Plastic Health Coalition. https://www.plastichealthcoalition.org/microplastics/

Did you know that most recycled polyester, or rPET, found in shoes and clothing is made from plastic bottles that have been recycled? These bottles are sorted and washed, and then broken down into small particles called “flakes.” These particles are then melted down and extruded to become a fiber that can be knitted or woven to create a textile, that ultimately becomes the base for so much of the clothing you see on racks today. These recycled textiles have all of the same properties of virgin polyester, and are used often in sportswear because of their sweat-wicking and temperature-controlling attributes. So… using a recycled poly fabric sounds like a good idea, right? Mmm not so much. When we take a closer look, it's not all so rosy.

The Issues

Brands have been using recycled polyester since the early 1990s, but recently, its use in everything from shoes to bags to sport bras has skyrocketed. Why? Well, in the past ten years, companies in every single industry have been pressured to reduce their environmental impact, and by using recycled materials in place of virgin ones, brands can claim that they are doing just that. In turn, you’ll find greenwashing campaigns often applauding the use of these recycled synthetic materials, while conveniently leaving out the problems that they create.

The positive impact of using recycled materials made from water bottles is not so clear. This is because the bottles used to make recycled polyester and other textiles were already on their way to be recycled - and making them into a fiber actually disrupts that circular value chain. Simply put: making bottles into clothes doesn’t “save them from a landfill” like so many brands claim - in fact, it takes something that could be recycled many times over - and turns it into something that cannot be recycled at all. So the original plastic material ends up in a landfill in the form of your old leggings.

Conversely, the bottles could easily be recycled into new bottles multiple times over, whereas the leggings cannot. While textile recycling technology exists, it is still in early development and remains expensive to companies and inaccessible to most consumers. Unfortunately, using bottles to make clothes disrupts an established cradle-to-cradle system, and turns it into something linear - without an environmentally-sound final destination.

As a reminder: recycled polyester also releases microplastics when washed - just like the virgin version. These microplastics end up in our water systems and our food, and have even recently been found in people’s bloodstream.

For all of the issues that recycled polyester presents, there are some categories of clothing where recycled synthetics are the preferred fabric solution, like in performance sports pieces for example. But otherwise, its prevalence is entirely unnecessary other than to serve the bottom line of the manufacturer. There is no reason that we should be wearing polyester sweaters or dresses - and definitely not underwear. That’s why we opt for 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, which is grown beneficially without harmful pesticides, breathes comfortably and doesn’t release icky microplastics.

Sources Cited

1. Recycled PET is Not a Solution for Sustainable Fashion. Modefica. 19 October 2019. https://medium.com/modefica-global/recycled-pet-is-not-a-solution-for-sustainability-in-fashion-456d4049563c 
2. The destructive, symbiotic relationship between the beverage and fashion industries. New Standard Institute. 14 November 2021. https://www.newstandardinstitute.org/the-destructive-symbiotic-relationship-between-the-beverage-and-fashion-industries
3. Microplastics found in human blood for first time. The Guardian. 22 March 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time

Without a reliable set of industry standards, bra sizing can feel like a gamble from brand to brand - leaving it to you to order, try, return, repeat. And to be totally honest, we don’t love that for you.

To set things straight, we're as clear as can be about how you can expect Subset to fit, but if it doesn’t work out, Bralettes with no signs of wear and their original hangtags can be exchanged for the right size or returned to refund within 30 days. So before you purchase your next Subset Bra or Bralette, let’s get into the nitty-gritty to make sure you find the right one for you!

How to Measure Your Bra Size

Fun fact: It is widely reported that anywhere from 70-80% of people are wearing the wrong bra size - so we highly recommend measuring yourself as the basis for size selection when shopping our Bras and Bralettes!¹

To get the most precise size possible, we recommend measuring your chest in two key areas: the bust and the band. The bust measurement refers to the fullest part of your chest, and the band refers to the measurement around your ribcage below your bust.

Our sizing chart has suggested sizing for combinations of these measurements, and we find this to be the most accurate. Scroll down to the end for a sneak peek at our sizing guides!

A Few Measuring Tips from the Pros

There are some additional tips for ensuring the most accurate measurements. 

• Firstly, do not slacken, angle or pull the measuring tape too tight - allow the measuring tape to remain comfortable around your body, parallel to the ground all the way around your chest. Any skewing, tightening or loosening of the measuring tape could result in selecting the wrong size  - which nobody wants.
• When you go to take the measurement, inhale normally and note the measurement before exhaling. This will ensure the most accurate measurement for comfort and ease of wear.
• If you have a roommate, friend, or partner handy, have them measure for you - if you can avoid moving your arms, you will get a more accurate reading!
  

Bra Styles for Every Body

When deciding on a size, it’s also important to keep in mind if you want adjustability in your style selection.

• The Scoop Bralette is a pull-over-the-head design - and while it does not feature adjustability in the arms or bust, is certainly super secure.
• The Tank Bralette - also a pull-over style includes adjustable recycled nylon straps with eco-coated rings and sliders to help tailor the Bralette even further to your body in both support and chest length from your shoulder to your ribs.
• For adjustable support and fit around the chest, our Triangle and Keyhole Soft Bras both feature hook-and-eye closures in the back, in addition to adjustable shoulders. 
  

Compare Your Old Bra

If you’re used to alpha-numerical sizing, our sizing chart offers suggestions for equivalencies across Subset's size range. For example, a 32B would be a Small whereas a 36D would land at a Large. And if you need any clarity while shopping, our Fit Experts can always help you select a size based on your measurements, or existing bra collection. 

Try on Tips

As we said, Bralettes with no sign of wear and their hangtags still on are eligible for exchange or refund. Here are a few guiding principles when it comes to trying on at home, risk-free!

• When trying on for the first time, make sure your skin is free from deodorant, oils, lotions, or self-tanners that might stain the fabric and make your return ineligible.
• If applicable, start first by placing the bust band on the loosest hook. As you wear it, the Bralette will stretch and you can adjust for that by using tighter hooks over time. If you’re using the loosest hook and find the band is digging into your ribcage or riding up in the back, you’ll likely need to go up one size.
• If your Bralette has adjustable shoulder straps, save these for last. Once your bust band is secure, use the D-ring sliders to adjust your shoulder straps comfortably. Not too tight that they dig into your shoulders, but tight enough to not slip off. 

Subset's Bra Measurement Guide

Footnotes

1. “Breast size, bra fit and thoracic pain in young women: a correlational study.” Cameron, Fitzgerald, Wood. 13 March 2008. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/style-thats-sustainable-a-new-fast-fashion-formula

Unlike most undergarment manufacturers, at Subset, we know that cancer-causing substances have no business up in your business. So we go above and beyond to use GOTS certified organic cotton and Oeko-Tex certified dyes and finishes, both of which are guaranteed free from harmful toxins.

You might be asking yourself, “Why on earth do we need certifications to prove what you’re putting on your body isn’t harmful?” The simple answer is:

Most materials used to make your clothes are unregulated, unreported, and unsafe.

Learn more about what you avoid in your intimates - and what we at Subset will never use.

Top Toxins To Avoid

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a word you know and that you likely have a negative connotation around. The truth is that it is a known carcinogen, but it’s also commonly found on clothing. 

This chemical is a powerful anti-wrinkling agent when used on textiles, and is in turn used to keep clothes looking in tip-top shape throughout their lifecycle, in the stores and in your drawers. In fact, most clothing is treated with this substance to be wrinkle-free.

But that got us wondering: do you iron your undies? We didn’t think so. 

Subset's Non-Toxic Take: We make products with no formaldehyde - because it’s potentially harmful to wear, but also harmful to the communities who work with it in the supply chain process. 

Toxic Dyestuffs

There is little regulation when it comes to dyestuffs, which can also vary from country to country. In the European Union, azo-dyes are banned due to their link to cancer, but here in the US, there are no particular restrictions on their usage - this is why we chose the best on your behalf.

Many dyes even contain trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead and mercury, which are commonly avoided in the EU.

Oeko-Tex is the certification that ensures products are free from over 100 substances that are known to be harmful to human health - but are otherwise allowed in everyday household objects - including your clothing.

Subset's Non-Toxic Take: You can rest easy knowing that your Subset Sets are certified organic and free from harmful chemicals.

Volatile Organic Compounds [VOCs]

There are also toxins we cannot see that can wreak havoc on your health, without your knowledge. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are just that - they evaporate off of the products they live on at an alarmingly low temperature. These can be found on tons of products, from paint, to cosmetics, to cleaning products.

When these VOCs evaporate, they release a handful of harmful chemicals and gasses, from methane to formaldehyde. Not only does this pose a potential harm to your bod, but it poses one to the planet - it’s the primary creator of smog.

Synthetic and natural fabrics alike are often treated with chemicals that produce VOCs.

Subset's Non-Toxic Take: That's why opting for a natural fiber that’s certified free of these chemicals like GOTS-certified organic cotton continues to be the better choice for you and the planet all around.

All the toxin talk piqued your interest? Learn more about Subset's stance on non-toxic materials here.

At Subset, we’re committed to sustainable fashion that’s truly transparent. That’s why we partnered with Green Story to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—a scientific way to measure the environmental impact of our products from start to finish.

What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

An LCA tracks the environmental footprint of a product, from raw materials to manufacturing, transportation, and disposal. It helps measure key factors like:

• Carbon footprint (CO₂ emissions throughout the product’s life)
• Water usage (including how much drinking water is saved)
• Land impact (how much land is spared from toxic pesticides and fertilizers)

How Green Story Measures Subset’s Impact

To assess the sustainability of Subset products, Green Story analyzed our:

• Certified organic cotton sourcing (where and how it’s grown)
• Ethical manufacturing (where our Undies and Bralettes are made)
• Supply chain & transportation (how our products move from farm to factory to you)

With all this data, Green Story calculated the total savings in carbon emissions, water, and waste for each product—giving you real, tangible impact numbers for every Subset piece.

See Your Impact When You Shop

We believe you deserve full transparency, so every Subset Underwear and Bralette includes an Impact section on its product page. Here, you’ll see exactly how much your purchase:

♻ Reduces CO₂ emissions compared to conventional fashion
💧 Saves drinking water
🚯 Avoids harmful chemicals in production

What’s Next?

While we can’t track what happens to your Sets once they arrive at your door, we encourage sustainable care:

1. Wash in cold water
2. Hang dry instead of using a dryer
3. Recycle with Subset when your pieces reach the end of their life

By choosing Subset’s non-toxic, organic cotton intimates, you’re actively reducing the impact of your wardrobe and supporting a cleaner fashion industry.

Find out the impact of your favorite Subset style right here:

The Band

The underbust band of our Bralettes is made primarily from Tencel. Tencel, which is made by the innovative textile company, Lenzing, is made from responsibly sourced wood pulp. The material offers natural breathability and anti-bacterial properties, which makes it a perfect choice for the band of our Bralettes (no swoobies here!). Additionally, Tencel is produced in a closed-loop process, which reuses the water and chemicals used in processing to conserve resources - unlike Tencel’s not-so-lovely cousins viscose & rayon.¹ It’s one of the most sustainably-made materials available on the market today!

The Details

The D-Rings and sliders used in a handful of our Bralettes offer more than just the ability to adjust your Bralettes for comfort. They are also finished using an eco-coating process that cuts down on both water and energy use. Most metals used in clothing are finished by electroplating, which is a process that involves heavy water and energy use, and can be riddled with toxins. Our hardware bypasses this process entirely, making it much lighter on the planet and you.

The Straps

Even our Bralette straps are made of something special - what, did you think we’d stop searching for sustainably-sourced options at the strap?! Our Subset Bralette straps are composed of recycled nylon, which reduces our need for new, aka “virgin” materials. The recycled nylon that we utilize comes from material that was underused in the production process of other garments - usually scraps and off-cuts that would typically be thrown away. These materials are processed and re-spun in order to be used in new ways, and we are excited to reduce our need for virgin textiles by integrating recycled nylon into our Bralettes!

The Body

Just like in our Undies, we pride ourselves on the fact that the body of our Bralettes are made primarily of GOTS certified organic cotton. But in order to make sure they mold to your body and remain intact wash after wash, we weave a small amount of elastane into the fabric (only about 5%!). Although elastane does not check all of our sustainability boxes, we feel that its contribution to the great fit of our products and their durability makes it necessary at this time. We are working to replace the elastane in our products with a biobased or recycled option in the future, and we can’t wait to share it with you when we do! 

In fact, it uses up to 98 million tons of non-renewable resources every single year¹. That’s why turning to earth-friendly options within the supply chain is incredibly important.

But these days, all kinds of brands are chirping about “sustainability,” “eco-friendliness,” and “all-natural ingredients” – what’re you supposed to believe?

Subset Ditches Toxic Relationships

At Subset, we pride ourselves on cutting through the BS and leading with cold hard facts - we’re here to clean up the fashion industry from the inside-out, and we’re happy to tell you exactly how. Read on to learn more about the effects the fashion industry has on the planet and how Subset is making a difference.

Why Is Fashion So Toxic?

When it comes down to it, the fashion industry is toxic from the get-go. Thousands of different chemicals are used to produce, dye, and finish the textiles that make up our clothing. And while some chemicals do not pose a threat to our wellbeing, many key chemicals used in textile production have knowingly harmful effects on both human and environmental health – but are still used regularly by mainstream brands - such as published carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.

Moreover, only a fraction of all textile-related substances have actually undergone toxicity testing for safety to work with because the ingredients for many of these chemicals are protected by “trade secrets” and cannot be tested for human safety.  In many of the countries that produce clothing, factory wastewater is severely under-regulated, meaning a lot is not cleaned or treated. This contaminated water impacts drinking and bathing water and enters the local food system, often in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

With no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers in sight, organic cotton is overall much safer and more regenerative for the earth. The organic cotton that makes up your Sets, which comes from the Maharashtra region in India, is almost entirely rainfed. In one study, rainfed organic cotton was found to use up to 90% less water than irrigated conventional cotton! Because of the practices of intercropping, crop rotation and the use of only natural fertilizers, the same study found that organic cotton reduces the chance of soil erosion by up to 90% and the risk of water pollution by 26%! 

Plus, in order to ensure toxic chemicals are nowhere near your nethers,  Subset only utilizes Oeko-Tex certified dyes and finishes and GOTS-approved processing methods. You can rest easy knowing that your Sets are 100% non-toxic and better for the environment, seed-to-shelf. 

Need any other reason to make the #TopDrawerSwap? We didn’t think so.

Around the world, about 300 million people suffer from yeast, vaginal, and bladder infections each year^1,2,—in part due to the synthetic fabrics that don’t breathe and the harmful chemicals found in our undergarments and menstrual care products.

The vagina is a complex biome that can easily get thrown out of whack if not treated with care. In fact, it’s one of the most absorptive organs of the body and links directly to reproductive organs. As a result, 75% of humans with a vagina will get a yeast infection at least once in their lifetime, more than 40% will get multiple, and 8-10% will experience chronic infections every year... yikes!³

How? Materials Matter.

Synthetic performance fibers such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, and lycra actively trap heat and prevent air flow, creating a bacterial breeding ground that can lead to infection, irritation and all kinds of discomfort⁴. Have you checked out the contents of your top drawer lately? Chances are your undies are made mostly from these materials [which PS, are covered in chemicals].

Organic Cotton is Healthy.

At Subset, we’re all about comfort and feeling good in your skin - and that means providing you with a fabric that is better for your body: organic cotton.

In fact, most OBGYNs recommend a natural fiber for your nethers instead of synthetic fabrics because of its breathability and ability to prevent moisture retention⁵. Natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, wool, or linen, are inherently breathable and prevent moisture-trapping. This means that as sweat [and odors] accumulate, the fabric actively regulates heat and maintains airflow, for all-around comfort and better hygiene. 

At Subset, we go above and beyond with a certified organic product - so you and your body can breathe easy. Want to experience the difference? We’ve got you covered. Check out our inclusive range of organic cotton underwear styles made to fit every body here.

Sustainable and ethical shopping has brought a lot to light, and in turn, consumers are wondering where they should start when it comes to making a positive impact on the environment. Have no fear, Subset is here - and we’re ready to demystify the issues. Check out some starting tips and tricks below!

Shopping

The Problem:

The average human buys 60% more clothing and keeps it half as long as they used to 15 years ago.¹

What Can I Do?

If you double the number of times you wear a piece of clothing, you could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44% - it’s a no brainer.¹ Buy less, and wear more often.

Laundry

The Problem:

Synthetics fibers [like polyester and nylon] shed little plastic fragments called microfibers when they’re washed. In 2016, we released 1.3 million metric tons of microfibers and microplastics into the ocean. By weight, that’s basically 141 billion plastic water bottles...^2,3

What Can I Do?

Because they have a higher chance of biodegrading in the ocean, choose organic natural fibers instead of plastics-based polyesters to reduce this concerning environmental impact, and for those must-have moisture-wicking yoga pants, grab a specialized laundry bag to prevent more microfiber mayhem.

Energy

The Problem:

Most of the environmental impact of laundry comes from energy use in heating up the water in the washing machine, and then machine drying your clothes.

What Can I Do?

Switching from hot water to cold could prevent up to 864 lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year.⁴  Easy peasy. And if you really want to go for gold, use a low-impact organic detergent and hang dry.

Not only do dryers pose potential damage for your goods, but they use five to ten times more energy than a washer! Hang drying truly allows us to save tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year!

Waste

The Problem:

All done - what now? In the US, over 60% of textiles discarded ended up in a landfill in 2018. That’s almost 69 pounds thrown away per person in the US, in one year!⁵

What Can I Do?

Little did you know, 95% of clothing that is thrown in the trash could be recycled - even your old undies.⁶ Recycling textiles diverts an otherwise huge waste of resources and can save tons of energy and CO2 emissions as compared to virgin material production - win, win, win. Did you know Subset will take your old undies, tights, socks, and bras? Read more about our industry-changing Recycling Program and be part of the solution.

Here at Subset, we know the world of sustainability can oftentimes feel overwhelming - what does carbon neutral mean? What qualifies as Fair Trade?

We’re here to simplify it for you.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent

The 6 Kyoto Protocol-defined greenhouse gases have varied potencies when released into the atmosphere, meaning that a small amount of one gas can have the same impact as a large amount of another gas. In order to report emissions in one figure, emissions of all gases are often converted to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide (the most pervasive greenhouse gas) released, instead of reporting the emissions of each individual greenhouse gas. This figure is usually denoted as CO2e.

Carbon Emissions

Carbon emissions refer to the release of the 6 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-defined greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. When these gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, are absorbed in the atmosphere, they trap additional heat on Earth’s surface. This additional heat leads to an increase in average temperatures on Earth (global warming), which in turn, leads to climate change.

Carbon Fooprint

A carbon footprint is the total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions resulting from a process, product or entity’s operations. Subset's carbon footprint is the sum of the emissions from our business operations, including those resulting from third-party activities related to Subset business (manufacturing, fulfillment, shipping, etc).

Carbon Neutral

Carbon neutral refers to a process or entity that has reduced or offset the entirety of its carbon footprint, meaning that its net emissions are zero.

Carbon Offsets

Carbon offsets are certificates of investments in projects that help to prevent, reduce or sequester emissions. Examples of offset projects include wind turbine installation, reforestation, forest conservation, and biogas capture from landfills. Verified offset projects are rated to prevent, reduce or sequester a certain amount of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per dollar invested. Therefore, organizations and individuals can invest enough in a project to match the amount of carbon they emitted from an activity or process, and reach net zero emissions from that activity or process.

Fair Trade

The Fair Trade Standard ensures that workers are treated fairly, receive living wages and reasonable working hours, and are not subject to any abuse or potential harm while doing their job. Factories can become Fair Trade certified in order to ensure and verify that the standards are met.

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)

GOTS is the most stringent and widely recognized organic textile processing standard. GOTS certification ensures that factories are maintaining the organic integrity of the textile and adhere to strict social and environmental standards.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A life cycle assessment (LCA) measures the impact of a product or process at every stage of its production, use, and disposal. The full scope of an LCA, commonly referred to as “cradle-to-grave” begins with the extraction of materials and continues through the product’s or process’s end-of-life. Life cycle assessments can measure water use, carbon emissions, water pollution, and many other impact categories.