Sustainability

Before talking about what SOLIS believes and does about sustainability, we need to know its origin: sustainability refers to the term "sustainable", derived from the Latin sustentare, which means to sustain, defend, favor, support, conserve and/or care.

By concept, being sustainable means taking actions that meet the needs of the present without affecting future generations!

These attitudes go far beyond separating garbage or planting a tree. It's about changing the way we perceive society and our day-to-day habits, how to rethink excessive consumption and choose products from companies that respect natural resources, the environment and the people in their production.

Estas atitudes vão muito além de separar o lixo ou plantar uma árvore. É sobre mudar a forma como percebemos a sociedade e nossos hábitos do dia a dia, como repensar o consumo exagerado e fazer escolhas de produtos de empresas que respeitam os recursos naturais, o meio ambiente e as pessoas em sua produção. 

After all, why having a sustainable brand?

The fashion industry is responsible for about 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, being the second industry that consumes the most water (about 215 trillion liters per year) – in addition to the challenge of waste generation and packaging[1].

Sustainability is at the heart of the fight against climate change. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), climate change, loss of biodiversity and other environmental changes, due to human activity, are among the greatest risks perceived today[2].

Climate change can generate enormous economic and life damage on the planet, such as an increase in natural disasters, concentrated rains generating large floods and landslides, long periods of drought that affect food production, among others.

The increase in the average temperature of the planet will lead to the melting of glaciers and with it the rise in sea level, which could decimate cities. Climate change will also affect human health, with the intensification of existing diseases and the emergence of new ones.

How to reverse it?

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities have already caused an increase of 1^oC compared to pre-industrial levels. To sustain safe levels of temperature rise (up to 1,5^oC), we need to achieve net zero emissions savings by 2050[3].

Currently, 124 countries and 21% of the world's 2,000 largest private companies, representing annual revenues of USD 14 trillion, have set net zero targets.[4]

Being net zero means calculating the total emissions relative to the carbon footprint, reducing where possible and neutralizing the rest of emissions through offsetting. One of the ways to compensate is to buy carbon credits in voluntary markets.

The carbon footprint is a methodology created to measure greenhouse gas emissions, all of which, regardless of the type of gas emitted, are converted into equivalent carbon. These gases are emitted into the atmosphere during the life cycle of a product, process, service or company.

For the world to achieve these goals, it is necessary to gradually move towards new possibilities: low-emission industries and the use of fuels from renewable sources[5].

This global change, focused on reducing and offsetting Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, means that companies have a carbon management process that is linked to net zero commitments. There are still processes within companies that, due to technological and economic restrictions, it is not possible to reach zero emissions. As a way to overcome this, it is necessary to adopt compensation strategies, which can be done through the acquisition of carbon credits.

The carbon credit is a certified reference unit that proves that a certified project avoided the emission or removed 1 ton of carbon equivalent from the atmosphere. 1 carbon credit equals 1 tonne of carbon equivalent.

It is for this purpose, to do good, generate value and care for the planet, that SOLIS was born net zero, as a company and with all products carbon neutral. We map greenhouse gas emissions relative to the carbon footprint of products and the company, reduce them as much as possible and, from there, compensate what it was not possible to reduce through carbon credits.

In order for products to be carbon neutral, we carry out a Life Cycle Assessment (AVC), which consists of mapping the production process, the manufacture of raw materials, packaging production, distribution, use and disposal. Then, we neutralize these emissions through the acquisition of carbon credits, so that the products earn the Carbon Neutral seal.

How SOLIS reduces its emissions?

Reduction of plastic use

​All SOLIS internal processes were designed to reduce the use of plastic, from product storage in stock to delivery logistics. We replaced the standard bikini plastic packaging for delicate raw cotton bags, which can be used in a variety of other ways, such as a toiletry bag or travel bag organizer. All of our e-commerce shipping packaging is made of paper and derivatives: recycled cardboard boxes, recycled paper tags, sisal seals and even the hygienic protectors are made of paper.

But, there is still room for improvement! Part of our sealing tags, stickers and other adhesive items still have plastic in the composition.

It is a continuous work of development and search for new products that replace plastic.

Raw materials and production process

There is a great current challenge in the fashion industry in relation to raw materials of garments: to develop more sustainable solutions for the production chain, such as composition materials that are less harmful to the environment and generate less greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, SOLIS bikini collections have a continuous line of pieces produced with biodegradable fabrics, or recycled polyamide, in addition to common fabrics.

Also, in our production process, we study the best way to fit the fabric, to have as little waste as possible. The remaining scraps are transformed into hair ties that we send as gifts to our clients.

SOLIS line of t-shirts and dresses for beach and casual use, are produced with BCI certified cotton and Rice Recycle fabric softener.

BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) is a non-profit organization, created in 2005, based in Geneva, Switzerland. BCI works to ensure that in all steps from production to retail, sustainable initiatives are followed and encouraged, and that they contribute to a more positive chain.

This means monitoring the continuous improvement of the production process, overseeing fair labor relations and ensuring transparency for the market and cotton traceability.

Rice Recycle, on the other hand, is a textile softener formulated from oil extracted from rice husks, helping to properly dispose organic matter and eliminating the use of chemical softeners during the textile process. In addition, it contributes to knits with a soft touch and comfortable fit.

SOLIS caps are produced from 100% cotton fabrics and use zero water in the production process. The electricity used is 100% photovoltaic and all production waste is properly disposed in landfills or recycled.

We work with a timeless fashion concept: pieces of high durability in design and quality.

It's a minimalist style with a contemporary catch, it's about being sustainable and never going out of style.

Compensation

Although we seek to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible, there are still processes along the chain that we do not have the solutions to zero emissions. Therefore, SOLIS offsets the remaining emissions through certified projects that prevent deforestation in the Amazon rainforest with the aim of delivering net zero products that respect people, the environment and our planet.

The project chosen by SOLIS to acquire carbon credits and offset emissions is Unitor REDD+, a project responsible for protecting forests located in one of the regions with the highest rate of deforestation in the Amazon Biome: the municipality of Lábrea-AM.

Unitor REDD+ covers an area of 99,035 hectares, equivalent to approximately 99,035 football fields, with an estimated annual avoided emission of 522,923 tCO2eq (tons of carbon equivalent). Through the project, it was possible to stop and reduce deforestation rates in the region, promoting sustainable extractivism and the conservation of flora and fauna: around 21 species of reptiles and amphibians, 253 of birds and 28 of mammals.

The Project was developed by Carbonext, the company responsible for developing and conserving nearly thousands of hectares of Amazon forest through certified projects that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).

Carbonext is recognized for its pioneering spirit in sustainability, one of the oldest companies in the Brazilian carbon credit market dedicated to combating deforestation and solutions for decarbonizing companies. The company works to protect areas in the Amazon, directing resources to properties via carbon credits and developing long-term activities that foster the local bioeconomy and its communities.

Carbonext takes care of all stages from the search for new areas with deforestation pressure, project development and carbon credits commercialization. All projects are certified by VERRA, the main international certification body for REDD+ projects, which guarantees greater quality and reliability of the credits. Through the VERRA certificate issued by Carbonext on behalf of SOLIS, it is attested that the credits purchased were retired, that is, that a carbon credit fulfilled its function of offsetting one ton of carbon equivalent that was released into the atmosphere.

We offset SOLIS emissions with REDD+ projects (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), which means reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plus (+) the conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and increased stocks of forest carbon.

In Brazil, REDD+ is particularly relevant due to the country's emissions profile, which is largely associated with deforestation and changes in land use.

Good REDD+ initiatives allow the generation of a series of social and environmental co-benefits, such as the preservation of biodiversity and investments to promote forestry and agroforestry production chains.

Thus, commercializing carbon neutral products is a form of individual consumer participation in the climate agenda through lifestyle and consumption choices.

Ethics and social responsibility

Our goal is to value people, since the fashion sector employs around 300 million people worldwide, most of whom are women[6].

Sustainability in practice is also about celebrating and recognizing women in the labor market, as well as valuing all employees fairly, respecting diversity and practicing inclusion throughout the production chain.

​We also encourage artisanal production, fostering relationships with suppliers and local handicraft entrepreneurs.

And we're just getting started!