Images Magazine June 2018
www.images-magazine.com JUNE 2018 images 27 DECORATOR PROFILE costs when you’re trying to be an ethical business, but it’s our philosophy and one that we want to push forward with.” Shirtworks now offers screen printing, DTG printing, transfer, vinyl and embroidery. At present, 20% of its business involves selling organic garments, with 5% of its work done using Soil Association- approved inks. All the Madeira rayon threads and backings used on the embroidery orders are approved as well. Plastics phase-out As ever, Shirtworks has proved to be slightly ahead of the curve and while the company has moved out of the tourist market as licensing of the Oxford University logo made it a difficult market to flourish in, it has continued to grow as companies who wish to demonstrate a socially compliant chain are now seeking out its services and ethical credientials. While the company inevitably has to roll with the market to a certain degree and offer non-organic as well as organic products, it is constantly trying to move as much of its proposition into the Soil Association-accredited domain as possible. “What we’re about to do is completely phase out non-approved plastisol inks. We’re going to use 100% Soil Association-approved inks by Fujifilm Sericol, so by 2019, all our inks and processes like screen reclamation will be Soil Association- and GOTS- approved. They’re not as simple to use as your standard plastisols, but with a bit of skill and practise we’ll be able to offer 100% GOTS-approved and Soil Association-approved printing to everyone as standard.” Shirtworks will be using two water-based inks from Fujifilm – Texiscreen Aqua AJ and Texcharge TC – along with Pioneer Ultra YC, a PVC- free, phthalate-free plastisol ink. “We’re taking our lead from the general feeling there is now about the use of plastic and oil in general in products,” explains Arron. “We think that in the next 10 years, it’s not going to be just plastic bags that are phased out, but a lot of industries will be looking at phasing out plastic wherever they can or finding biodegradable alternatives.” The company by default doesn’t offer bagging, and uses recyclable bags when bagging is requested. However, Arron has researched alternatives as some clients (especially retailers) will always request bags and he has unearthed some made in Indonesia from the plant cassava. “They’re going to replace all of our recyclable bags, which is in line with us trying to phase out all plastic in our production processes,” he says. Another development is the new website build that Shirtworks has just embarked on after months of research and development. It’s expected to take six months, with the site being ready in early 2019. “You can’t afford to stand still in this game,” Arron notes. “What we realised a few years ago, along with other companies, is that customers want an automated and easy self-service experience when they hit your website. They want instant gratification and so a lot of effort as gone into building a user experience that is as ‘unsticky’ as possible. But it’s an extraordinarily difficult task in this game because while what we do isn’t rocket science, trying to get all the information out of a customer can be difficult. The devil is in the detail and can make the difference between them really loving their product or being ambivalent about it. We’ve looked at everybody’s user experiences and we think ours is one of the better ones, if not the best.” Shirtworks’s current investment period will come to an end next year when the site is launched, setting the company on its path for the next decade. It won’t mean any let-up in research and development though: while it’s known as an ethical printing company, the real USP of Shirtworks is the team’s ability to spot, understand and act on growing trends. www.shirtworks.co.uk We decided to make our USP being an ethical company Shirtworks is known for its ethical approach to garment decoration [Left] Around 20% of its business is through selling organic garments [Below] The company offers screen printing, DTG, transfer, vinyl and embroidery Going green For those who are inspired to follow Shirtworks’s lead, Arron suggests first contacting an organisation such as the Soil Association that can help with auditing and regulation. “We chose the Soil Association, but it was by no means easy to achieve, nor is it easy to manage and stay accredited. They audit us every year, and every year it seems like it gets harder and harder. And there’s a reason for that – they want to see positive movement, constantly. No company is perfect; when you’re busy, you can’t always get it right. We have minor compliance issues that we need to correct each year and that’s fine, that’s all part of being audited and inspected. “If a company can’t afford that, because it does have an annual cost and it does have a time cost too, then opt for the basics. Buy more expensive and better inks, and commit to going through the pain of trying to make those water- based ink systems work, because they’re not as straightforward as using plastisol out of a pot. “They’ve also got to look at how they recycle their waste, and also measure and monitor how much energy is being used per unit produced and then attempt to reduce it each year.”
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