Social Model
VPL is proud to announce we are now a Certified B Corporation®. We will be joining global innovators in a movement to use business as a force for good. B Corporations meet higher standards of social and environmental performance, using business as an agent for change. We are ecstatic to be recognized alongside other major B Corps. Every product we make is a result of slow design and sustainable production. The cost saving from upcycling fabric left over from previous production has funded numerous science and technology education initiatives directly to classrooms across the country. This is how we make it happen.
Zero Waste
Over the years we have developed unique designs and patterns to utilize scrap of fabrics (this is one of the reason we focus on making bras because they require a small yield per unit). We maximize the usage of fabric or "yield" or consumption rate by closely monitoring and refining our marking, grading and cutting method.
Upcycling Leftover Fabric
Estimated 15-20% of fabric winds up in the landfills because it's cheaper to dump the scraps than to use them up. We have been incorporating fabric left over from previous production into new designs to make sure the fabric we order will be gradually but all used up. Our fabric utilization rate is 100%. This is shocklingly very rare in our wasteful fashion industry.
Slow Design
Finally, we advocate slow design. Instead of bringing seasonal collections, we advocate the development of original designs that have a long "closet" life for customers. This enables us to bring our development cost down.
Education Initiatives
The saving from sustainable production and slow design has been used to benefit many children, especially young girls, to learn technology and science in classrooms across the country. Based on our own criteria, we have selected many projects proposed by teachers and funded these projects directly without going through other non profits. Learn many initiatives VPL have helped funding from
here.
