Sustainability
At The Sustainable Sequin Company we’re working to make embellishment kinder to the planet, from the materials we choose, to the way we package, ship and offset our sequins.
How we design sequins, packaging and materials to have a more positive impact from the start.
Our sequins are made from either Global Recycled Standard certified 100% recycled plastic or 20% recycled plastic, giving customers lower-impact solutions.
We use recycled card boxes, paper wraps, recycled stickers and paper tape wherever possible. Larger orders use biodegradable bags and recycled or reused padding.
Sequin cutting creates offcuts, known as punchinella. We minimise waste through shape design, sell punchinella for reuse and donate imperfect pieces to community groups. We also incorporate our waste into other products such as buttons and jewellery.
For digital embroidery, we’ve developed spools made from recycled card and plant-based glue, helping reduce plastic waste after use.
TSSC has set a target of reaching Net Zero emissions by 2035, using 2022 as its carbon footprint baseline. The goal is to reduce at least 90% of emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3, then offset the small remainder through verified carbon capture.
For every order placed, TSSC funds one tree, with a minimum commitment of 100 trees per month, through Ecologi's projects. This makes each order part of a wider restoration effort rather than a standalone transaction.
Alongside its own reduction work, TSSC supports verified climate projects through Ecologi. To date, the business has helped prevent 105.98 metric tonnes of CO₂e from entering the atmosphere and remove a further 21 metric tonnes of CO₂e.
As part of its wider impact strategy, TSSC has assessed its historic use of synthetic plastics and funded the collection of an equivalent amount of ocean-bound plastic through Plastic Bank. The current total is 2,200kg of plastic, roughly equal to 110,000 plastic bottles.
We’re members of 1% For The Planet, which means we give 1% of annual revenue to environmental nonprofits. Our chosen partner is Redress, which works to reduce waste in the fashion industry and support a more circular future.
Rachel has always loved textiles, studying embroidery before working as a print and embroidery swatch designer, embroidery technician and sustainable fashion tutor. Her interest in sequins grew while she was completing an MA in Fashion and the Environment at London College of Fashion in 2012.
During that research-led MA, she created naturally coloured, biobased polymer sequins as part of an experiment in how embellishment could respond to the short lifespan of fast fashion garments. These early sequins were designed to dissolve after a few wears, releasing natural dye into the fabric and creating a “new” version of the garment.
Since completing her MA, Rachel has continued developing compostable sequins that are commercially viable, washable and made from natural materials. Along the way, she has worked with partners including the BioComposites Centre at Bangor University and the University of Leeds, supported by an Innovate UK Sustainable Innovation Fund project.
She has also worked closely with the Royal College of Art, the University of Leeds and the University of Bradford on an AHRC-supported Future Fashion Factory project to further refine biodegradable sequins and bring them closer to practical use.
