Sustainability Q+A with Nui

INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA SEARANCKE
FOUNDER NUI

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ABOUT THE HISTORY OR ETHOS OF NUI?

As a business owner/mother:

I grew up in New Zealand, always near the sea and for most of my childhood, on a small farm. Being in nature, existing in rural and coastal environments and caring about the natural world has always been a part of my identity.

So there was no other way for me, in business, other than to create a company that aligned with my personal, environmental and social philosophies and to create a product that was good for the environment and everyone associated with it.

Starting (by accident!) with an organic merino wool blanket Nui Organics has grown into a go-to brand for natural fibres for families. It was important to me to not only use organic materials, but to contribute to climate-positive commerce. Sustainability to me means buying good quality natural clothing that respects the environment and won’t bleed microplastics into the ocean, buying only what you need, and then passing it on or reselling it.

Climate change, deforestation, pollution, ozone depletion, a floating continent of plastic in the pacific ocean. All realities of current and future generations. Every single one of our decisions, acts and purchases as brands and as consumers really does make a difference now. With Nui I choose, every day, to make decisions for good. Sourcing the most environmentally friendly options, developing new ones, designing for growth and encouraging our customers to buy less, not more. It’s not always the easiest option but it feels good and right.

In Maori, the native language of New Zealand, nui means big or important hence the name Nui Organics™. Because I believe a clean start is a big thing for a little person. I am inspired by our beautiful natural landscape and fired with a desire to maintain it for future generations.

As a company:

At Nui Organics, we put people and the planet at the core of what we do. Every decision we make is with the highest regard for the environment and everyone associated with it - growers, farmers, animals, their environment, factory workers, staff, and of course our Nui family’s. Our mission is to protect our natural resources and empower the consumer to help create positive change for the planet by choosing consciously designed premium apparel made from renewable and natural fibers.

Good design to us includes people feeling as good about buying their clothes as they do wearing them. It is our mission to inspire a culture of sustainable solutions with respect for people and the planet as a part of everyday life.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED, IS YOUR WHOLE TEAM THERE?

I split my time between New Zealand and Austin, Texas where our US office is. I am a single self-employed mother of one amazing 11 year old son. This small team of ‘me and him’ affords us a flexibility I think would be harder to achieve with a larger family. Right now I have him in school in a small coastal town in New Zealand because I wanted him to grow up on a beach and with an outdoor freedom we don’t have in Austin. He is equally at home in both places and appreciates things about both and we travel regularly back and forth.

You asked about my team, and he’s definitely part of it. For the rest - the ‘grown ups’ - the physical shipping of product and some of the customer service happens in Austin. Other than that it’s a virtual team. As we have grown, we have found the best person for the job and I don’t mind where they are. We communicate daily, conference, and sometimes meet. They probably get more done from their random locations than coming to the office as Austin traffic is HORRIBLE!

We are toying with the idea of reopening a physical showroom in Austin in the New Year. We had to shut it a few years back when we outgrew our warehouse space and had to expand forward into the store to warehouse goods. If we find the perfect new space for it. we just might.

WHERE ARE THE COLLECTIONS PRODUCED?

Our cotton is made in India right now and our merino in Bulgaria and Lithuania. Our lambskin booties we make in New Zealand. I have worked with all of these factories for over a decade.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR MANUFACTURERS ARE MEETING BEST ETHICAL PRACTICES? ARE YOU ABLE TO CLOSELY MONITOR YOUR PRODUCTION?

All of our manufacturers meet at a minimum SA8000 for social accountability. On top of that there is GOTS, Blue Sign and OkeoTex certification depending on the factory/product. I have visited all but our current cotton factory and my experiences were all positive and keeping with our company philosophies. One of our long time factory partners just won a National Award for Social Responsibility, which was super great for them.

WHAT KIND OF FABRICS DO YOU MOST USE? ARE YOUR FABRICS GOTS ORGANIC OR OEKO-TEX CERTIFIED?

We LOVE wool and make a lot of wool products - both GOTS and Oeko Tex. All of our cotton is organic and we are in the process of working towards 100% organic wool. I would say overall 95% of what we make is organic.

Getting ‘greener’ is a work in progress for us, and as technology improves what is possible with raw materials, production methods, packaging, trim etc, we improve.

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE FABRICS YOU USE AND WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

We design our garments from fiber to finished product - therefore we select natural fibers as opposed to fabrics. Their origin is explained above.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT HOW YOUR FABRICS ARE DYED?

All dyes are GOTS approved.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR OVERSTOCK OF MATERIALS AND FABRIC SCRAPS?

We don’t have any fabric scraps. We donate any leftover garments and last week sent a bunch of damaged knits off to be made into Waldorf Dolls.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PACKAGING FOR SHIPMENTS TO CUSTOMERS?

We use a compostable corn starch mailer and tissue paper.

DO YOU USE INDIVIDUAL BAGS FOR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS WHEN YOU SHIP TO RETAILERS? IF YES, ARE THEY RECYCLED AND/OR COMPOSTABLE?

We used to. But we are right now making Nui branded corn starch garment bags. And while we know a lot of brands ship in no bags, since we make a lot of wool, I want to make sure we store and ship it safely so it arrives in perfect condition to the family who purchases it.

DO YOU USE RECYCLED PAPER FOR YOUR HANG TAGS, POSTCARDS AND MARKETING MATERIALS?

A mix of FSC certified and recycled.

DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING ELSE WITH OUR READERS ON YOUR EFFORTS IN SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICAL PRACTICES?

Nui Organics is based on a foundation of sustainable values. Since 2004, we have been a culture rooted in consciousness, community, compassion, transparency and intentional design that puts people and the planet first.

Every garment is made from the highest quality organic, renewable, biodegradable, and recyclable fibers, lovingly crafted during our ethical production process, GOTS certified, and designed with your families comfort in mind.

As a business, it is important for us to contribute to climate-positive commerce. Sustainability to us doesn’t just mean selling sustainable and natural products. It means producing garments that won’t bleed microplastics into the ocean, that is good for the environment and everyone associated with it - growers, farmers, animals, their environment, factory workers, staff, and our Nui family - and promoting the message of buying only what you need, and then passing it on or reselling it when you have outgrown it.

That’s why we call our community our “Nui Family” - we’re in this together to create a healthier planet for current and future generations.