ABOUT
terrae is a sustainable activewear brand based in Malaysia. Derived from the word Terra, the Latin name for Earth, the idea for terrae was born out of the founders’ love for fitness and the planet. At terrae, they believe that you can work out, look good and feel great — without costing the earth.
IMPACT
People
The brand’s manufacturing partner is based in China. They believe that the clothes on your back should be made by people who are treated and paid fairly for their time and effort. The label works closely with them to innovate and improve on their designs. terrae has asked and received photo and video evidence of the working conditions, pay, and company schemes of the factory. The label plans to visit the site after the pandemic. One of their long-term goals is to work with the factory towards BSCI certification.
Product
terrae’s mainly uses ECONYL® regenerated nylon for their designs, which is a 100% recycled fibre made from discarded fishing nets and other waste like fabric scraps. They have also started incorporating 100% GOTS-certified cotton and deadstock fabric in their newer collections.
Packaging
The label does not use plastic in its packaging. Instead, their collateral sleeves and swing tags are FSC certified and recyclable. They also use 100% recyclable mailer envelopes, and their garment bags are 100% biodegradable and compostable.
Planet
For every 10,000 tons of ECONYL® raw material used, 70,000 barrels of crude oil is saved and 57,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions are avoided. That reduces the carbon footprint of nylon by up to 80% compared to using conventional nylon made from crude oil. Of course, any type of synthetics still release microplastics, thus terrae aims to launch wash bags that capture these microplastics during a normal laundry cycle. They have also started conducting research and since diversified into other types of fabrics such as organic cotton and deadstock.
Principles
Having founded terrae with a sustainable vision in mind, the brand has its own set of core pillars they build the business around Planet, People, Partnerships and Product. The concept of sustainability is still fairly new in this region. With terrae, our aim is to design activewear and athleisure for real bodies in real situations, while doing their best to minimise their impact on the planet. As a result, terrae aims to make reasonably priced sustainable activewear, without sacrificing quality nor performance. Thus, they design their activewear to withstand the test of time. The brand designs with real bodies in mind, and they believe in the power of diversity and inclusivity. They also strive to work with partners who share their vision of producing sustainably and are committed to ethical trade.
