Sustainability at Radley London
Radley Responsible Collection
14 May 2024
Did you know it will take a plastic bottle approximately 450 years to decompose in landfill? That’s why we continue to grow our sustainable Radley Responsible collection each season.
We save some plastic from ever entering landfill. Our recycled polyester is sourced from China and Taiwan, where local and international programmes of waste management provide bottles and plastics to reproduce into filament for new materials.
HOW RECYCLED POLYESTER IS MADE
Plastics are cleaned and ground into pellets. The material is extruded to create recycled filament that can then be woven into new material.
We team this with water-based PU that produces 60% less emissions than an oil-based version. Sounds complicated, looks great.
COTTON ON
We only use BCI-accredited cotton or organic cotton in our designs. Here’s the difference, but the bottom line is they’re both kinder to the environment.
BCI cotton - BCI stands for Better Cotton Initiative. This is the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton. Their mission is to help cotton growing communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.
Organic cotton - grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.
Grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment.
BIODEGRADABLE FRAMES? YES REALLY
Just about every pair of glasses frames out there is made from acetate. To make acetate, you need something called plasticisers. In bio acetate, these plasticisers come from renewable sources instead of oil-based ones. Bio acetate frames will last just as long as traditional frames but biodegrade faster when you eventually dispose of them.
