Stand.
E tū is the Māori word to ‘stand’.
We are taking a ‘stand’ for papatuanuku (mother earth), by raising awareness about textile waste’s impact on the environment. We are doing this by respecting the resources that have gone into making the products we consume and keeping them in circulation for longer.
Mission.
Our mission is to divert 1000 tents from landfill by 2025, and build an open-source library of waste to wear tutorials to inspire others to join the movement diverting textiles from landfill.
Vision.
Circular design becomes the norm as consumers have demanded brands and governments reimagine our broken waste systems. Product designers and distributors take full responsibility for the resources they use, products are made of 100% recycled materials and can be deconstructed and used in other products and industries. Curbside textile waste is collected monthly, jobs are created in sorting centres, product buy back schemes and repair care centres become common business practices which ensure the earth’s resources are kept in circulation for as long as possible. Businesses of every size have sustainable and social science based goals included in their reporting and radical transparency becomes the standard.
We stand for...
Sustainability.
E tu is part of the sustainable fashion movement and materials revolution that is good for the planet and her people. We are working within a circular economy, designing for change in production processes and fostering new pathways towards a fashion system with greater ecological integrity.
Innovation.
We are using piles of textile waste and pallets of dead stock as opportunities to disrupt the fashion and textile industry by designing for sustainable change. We are committed to radical transparency and innovative storytelling by using technology to create a deeper connection between consumers, the products they buy, and the impact they have on the planet.
Inclusivity.
Innovation and activism define who we are, transparency and inclusivity determine how we operate. At E tu, we think global and act local. Our radical transparency shows you how we live these core values and highlights new opportunities to improve the impact the fashion and textile industry has on our environment.
Education.
We create free, open-source resources that use accessible language to educate anyone interested in learning about the impact fashion and textiles have on our environment. We aim to remind people their daily actions, like choosing where to spend their money, can create a better future for our planet.
Journey.
Founder.
After a decade working in fast fashion Rachel has an insider’s understanding of the impact the fashion and textile industry has on our planet. Frustrated at the lack of leadership and transparency she founded E tu as a way to advocate for change, disrupt the system and educate people about the power of their choices.
Diverting textiles from landfill.
We work with music festivals and schools across Australia to collect textile waste (tents and gazebos) to repurpose into bags, breathing life into resources otherwise destined for landfill.