Our Autumn Sustainability Update is here! Read on to learn about the sustainability initiatives we've been working on this quarter, including a brand-new knitwear blend, tips for caring for your clothes, a brand-new charity tee, and some Joanie Team volunteering…

Our New Conscious Knitwear Blend

This month we launched a new and improved version of our bestselling Franklin Cardigan in a new, more responsible knitted blend made from LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded viscose fibres,* recycled polyester fibres, and recycled polyamide fibres.

It took us a while to get to this point - we know that blended fabrics are harder to recycle, so our production team has spent the last year investigating more responsible alternatives to our existing knitwear blends.

We tried 100% recycled polyester yarns, but wearer trials indicated that they would be too bobbly and fuzzy, ultimately compromising the quality and overall longevity of the product. We want you to wear and love your Joanie items for a lifetime, and even though this yarn composition might sound more sustainable, the lifespan and re-wearability of a piece of clothing are paramount when it comes to reducing the overall carbon footprint.

With this in mind, our team turned their attention to our most widely used blended composition (50% LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose, 28% polyester, 22% polyamide) to try and improve the fibres in the blend. By sourcing recycled polyester and polyamide alternatives, we have been able to retain the quality of our bestselling knits and make the garments using more conscious fibre alternatives.

This change might sound small, but it’s part of our ongoing journey to improve the impact that all our products have!

*LENZING™ and ECOVERO™ are trademarks of Lenzing AG.

Caring For Your Clothes

Did you know that over a quarter of a garment’s environmental impact happens after you’ve bought it? Knowing how to take care of your clothing properly is vital, which is why we’ve spent this quarter putting together some guides to help keep your favourite Joanie items looking great for longer.

Head over to our Instagram to read our handy guide to keeping viscose items from shrinking in the wash, and check out the circularity section of our website for tips on caring for your clothes and removing stubborn stains!

Supporting Our Local Community

We’re always on the lookout for ways we can support our local community. In August, we launched our Emmie Tee, a ‘Votes For Women’ slogan T-shirt that will help raise money for local charity Emmeline’s Pantry (Registered Charity Number: 1169796).

We’re donating £10 from the sale of every Emmie Tee to Emmeline’s Pantry, a Manchester-based food bank run by women for local people in need.

The Joanie Team also took part in a litter pick at Peel Park as part of the Hedgehog Friendly Campus Scheme. If you know of any local opportunities (we’re in Manchester!) to help out in the community that you think we might be interested in, please get in touch with us at [email protected]!