Environmental Considerations

Most of our products (all of our clothing) are made to order. We keep very few products in stock, minimising waste and protecting the environment.

As a response to overproduction, on-demand manufacturing has been gaining momentum in the last decade. While it is not a cure-all, the on-demand business model proposes specific and effective solutions to many issues in the fashion industry, particularly overproduction and pollution. “Dead” inventory is certainly an issue that sticks out among the problems facing retail today. Some companies resort to destroying unsold items as they are expensive to house and difficult to realise elsewhere. It is estimated that 1 in 5 garments produced end up in landfills never reaching the customer.

Brands are reacting to the increasing demand for sustainable clothing and are looking for ways to get into consumers’ closets in a way that is kinder to the planet.

When choosing made-to-order third-party printing services, products get printed only when a customer buys them, which allows us to limit waste that is associated with bulk production and avoid the overstocking of items that might never get bought.

Fuel the Passion use a third-party printing service, who fulfill the majority of print orders using direct-to-garment (DTG) printing technique where a printer sprays the ink onto a garment. For DTG, our supplier uses Kornit printers that offer waterless, biodegradable, and cruelty-free print solutions.

Global fulfillment centres means less time to travel, shorter distances and less pollution

Most local businesses have the potential to develop and grow internationally; however, entering the global market comes with a set of challenges. Brands that partner with print-on-demand providers get a shortcut to the global market via an established global fulfillment network.

In Fuel the Passion’s case, we have gained access to fulfillment centers in North America and Europe and partner facilities in Australia and Japan.

There is also a fulfillment centre currently in the process of being opened in the UK, which will result in shorter delivery times and less distance to travel for our UK customers.

This global fulfillment network allows our worldwide customers to reach their end delivery address without customs, fees and weeks of orders spent in transit. A smaller distance from the fulfillment center to the customer and lower shipping and customs fees mean a better user experience.