ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
SEPT. 2019
Sara zbinden, Founder of Pura Clothing, a sustainable Swim and Active Wear Brand
What do you do at your organization in terms of Sustainability, how do you monitor and report the outcomes and what are the goals?
Since I am the founder of the sustainable and ethical Swim- and Activewear Brand Pura Clothing, I am in charge of making sure that our workers get paid fairly and have insurance etc. I also make sure that the fabric we use is the most sustainable on the market. At Pura, we don’t use any new resources and only use recycled fabric or leftover fabric. For me, it’s extremely important that I work with a small factory so that I can monitor everything and be sure that the working conditions are excellent.
What do you think does an organization need if it wants to start introducing CSR/Social Impact/Sustainability practices?
I think you should really want it. It’s important to acknowledge how important sustainability is – every step of the way. Not only environmentally. Social sustainability is also extremely important. We should all respect each other and look after each other. This is true for the people working for you as well as the planet. If you really want to be sustainable, you can be. And yes, sometimes being or acting sustainable can be annoying and more expensive but in the end, it’s always worth it!
Do you feel that differentiating yourself through impact has brought an added value to your business and reduces risks? In what way?
Absolutely! We are the better choice. Meaning that we can differentiate ourselves from other brand which still exploit people and we can offer a better solution. This brings us a lot of customers who buy from us just because it’s the right thing to do.
Do you see a change in behavior in your consumers?
We’ve been socially responsible and environmentally friendly since day 1, so we have a lot of people who already think alike. But we would definitely like to change the mindset of some people who maybe don’t think like us yet.
How do new technologies and this digital age influence your work? Do you use new technologies to spread the word about what you do?
Social Media has been a huge part of our growth and it’s a fantastic way to reach new people and get the message out there.
In your view, what’s the biggest challenge when it comes to marketing Sustainability efforts to the world in a more active way than merely through your sustainability report?
I am not sure I am understanding this question right but for me, the biggest challenge is to reach people who are not yet in the sustainability bubble. To reach these people and more importantly, to convince them why your Swimwear should not be made in Indonesia/China and cost 20-30.- a piece is a bit of a challenge.
You can find Pura Clothing's beautiful and sustainable Swim and Active Wear here.