Sustainability & Environment

In 2020, a leading environmental consultancy calculated our carbon emission baseline, which gave us a starting point to reduce our emissions. Our baseline is categorized into our major components, and we are implementing new initiatives across each that will help us reduce our carbon footprint each year.

In 2023, Princess Polly approved near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets with the SBTi, in line with a 1.5 degree temperature rise. We’re proud to be part of this groundbreaking community, and commit to:

- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2020 base year.

- Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 52% per unit sold by 2030 from a 2020 base year.

- Continue annually sourcing 100% renewable electricity through 2030

- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions 90% by 2050 from a 2020 base year.

- Reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions 97% per unit sold by 2050 from a 2020 base year.

We’re already making huge strides towards our 2030 target for Scope 3 emissions reductions; by the end of 2023, we had reduced our Scope 3 CO2e intensity by 18% compared to our 2020 baseline.

We’re making on-trend fashion more sustainable by transitioning our products to be made with lower environmental impact materials.

With the launch of Lower Impact in 2022, we've made good progress with 30% of our new arrivals being made with materials that have a lower impact on the environment. We're committed to making more progress and continually growing our range.

Additionally we’re working closely with our factories on sustainable practices. Our significant sites are all completing a sustainability self assessment using the HIGG Facility Environment Module, which helps us to spotlight opportunities to improve.

The major component of transport related emissions is shipping from our factories to our distribution centers. In 2023, our upstream transport was reduced by 53% per product by transitioning from air to sea freight.

All of our orders and garments are shipped in 100% recycled content plastic packaging. Our custom garment and shipping bags generate 74% less emissions than virgin plastic! To learn more about our packaging and waste plans, check out our Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation Report and Action Plan.

In 2023, Princess Polly diverted 57% of our waste from landfills across all of our AU and US offices and distribution centres. On top of this, we’ve installed solar panels at our HQ in Australia.

We are serious about circularity. For us, circular fashion is all about creating smartly designed and great quality products in line with demand, helping you take care and keep them for longer.

We’re proud that our garments are made from high quality materials – which means that with a bit of TLC, your favorite Princess Polly pieces can last season after season. Our Princess Polly Care Guide is a first step in giving you all the right resources to keep your fav pieces looking fresh and fab (and the planet will thank you, too!).

When you no longer wear your items, this doesn’t have to be the end of the story either. We’re educating our customers on the best options to give these pieces another life: it may be with a new owner, by reselling or donating, or by recycling the materials to turn them into something new.

We love animals, which is why we’re super serious about animal cruelty. We’re a Fur Free Retailer and have worked with Four Paws, a global animal welfare organisation, to prepare our animal welfare policy (which you can check out here). Our animal welfare policy sets out our expectations around animal welfare for our employees and suppliers, and covers the animal derived materials we ban and allow, animal testing, and the inclusion of animals in our marketing.

For the animal materials that we do still work with, we require suppliers to practice good animal husbandry, and adopt the Five Freedoms of animal welfare by the Farm Animal Welfare Council. Currently, less than 1% of Princess Polly’s products are derived from animal product.