Beyond Sustainability
FULL TRANSPARENCY
It is important to us that you know Aberdevine strives to be a sustainable and fully transparent enterprise. Our ultimate goal is to one day become a fully circular brand, and we are working hard to make it happen. A bra can have as many as 30 components, and we are determined to use only those we feel are kindest to the planet, people and animals. But it doesn’t stop there...
COMPONENTS
FABRICS
At Aberdevine, we have spent many years looking for components that will be of the highest quality and help us meet our goal of becoming a truly circular company. After several years of research, testing, and consultation with experts, we have concluded that using regenerated and recycled fabrics from local suppliers is the most environmentally friendly approach. Our Founder, Marta, then set off on a mission to find local British and European premium suppliers whose innovative solutions not only look but also work exceptionally well.
LACE: We have chosen to use regenerated lace as the main fabric of choice for our products meet specific needs of traceability and count on worldwide accredited certifications. The quality of our fabrics acquires a further added
value without compromising on aesthetics. Our Italian eco lace was developed to preserve the environment as a focal point, considering the fibres and the entire manufacturing process. Its eco-friendly approach involves the whole manufacturing process, from the raw materials to the usage of solar energy (our lace manufacturers are equipped with a photovoltaic plant that includes solar panels capable of providing approximately 30% of the total energy consumption of the factory) and water consumption reduction. Our lace's uniqueness is found in the use of so-called regenerated threads. Thanks to a highly innovative production system in regenerating synthetic fibres called MCS (Melting- Continuous- Spinning), it is possible to reuse process residues to spin new microfibers that are exceptionally soft and silky, guaranteeing brilliant colours and easy dyeing. These yarns derive from the residues of the spinning process and they would normally be treated as waste to be disposed of with profound environmental implications. Instead, they make your beautiful, durable bra;) All the yarns used to produce our lace meet specific needs of traceability and count on worldwide accredited certifications, including Global- Recycled Standard, OEKO- Tex and EU Ecolabel.
MESH/NET:
We also use certifiedQ-NOVA® a recycled and sustainable Nylon fiber obtained from regenerated raw materials, according to the criteria and requirements of modern traceability. Q-NOVA® comprises waste materials from the primary production cycle at the fabric manufacturers in Italy. Such materials could not be reused in any other way and should be disposed of externally as waste. Furthermore, it uses an innovative mechanical regeneration system, which does not involve using chemical materials that would compromise the sustainability of the final product. Q-NOVA® is certified and traced by the Global Recycle Standard system, by the European ECOLABEL EU system as well as by the OEKO-TEX STD 100 CLASS I system.
OTHER FABRICS: We also use small quantities of TENCEL™ Lyocell for all the gussets. It is produced from sustainably sourced wood in a certified environmentally responsible manner. We considered bamboo, but it grows poorly in the European climate, so it inevitably involves long-distance air freight. We deemed new organic cotton to be too environmentally harmful in its growth and production, particularly its water and heat demands, and recycled cotton failed our durability and appearance tests. Our TENCEL™ Lyocell just like all our other components comes from Europe, it's made from woodpulp.
ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS
Straps and elastic: All our bras, bralettes and bodysuits have straps and bands made from sustainable recycled nylon obtained from regenerated raw materials that would otherwise have been disposed of as waste. Our European supplier is fully tracked and certified.
Underwires: The wiring in many bras is made from, or coated with, plastic. This is generally claimed to be necessary for appearance and durability, but our in-house tests have found no supporting evidence. At Aberdevine, we exclusively use non-coated metal underwires manufactured at a small family firm in Poland— and we hope to re-use them again and again in the future, which is why we ask you to send back your bras rather than throwing them away.
DYES
Suppose you’re wondering why our Aberdevine underwear doesn’t come in every colour under the sun. In that case, it’s because of our goal to use only natural, biodegradable, non-toxic, non-allergenic dyes derived from native plants (rather than coal tar, which is where most synthetic dyes come from). So you won’t find our products in bleached white, but you will find cream (made from fungi) and honey (made from buckthorn and hazel bark). The only exception at present is our use of black, which cannot currently be achieved satisfactorily using natural dyes but was heavily requested during market research. Offering black helps us achieve our aim of producing versatile and long-lasting products, but we are keeping this under review.
CRAFTING
Our lingerie is created with a deep respect for both the craft and its devotees.
We strive to keep our team small and discerning. After our founder draws up the initial designs, they receive input from a professional designer and then a professional constructor before being turned into final 3D designs. The constructor creates initial prototypes at her home machine, with each piece evolving into many more prototypes from there. After painstaking testing, the prototypes proceed to manufacturing at a small independent producer consisting of one production manager and four to six highly skilled seamstresses.
Design, construction, and production take place within a radius of 177 kilometres, allowing personal visits, full transparency, and alignment of values. Working with local artisans helps us ensure that every person involved in the production of our garments is fairly compensated and respected for their craft.
PACKAGING & DELIVERY
Our products will arrive at your door in the smallest possible recycled (and recyclable) box manufactured locally on the continent. Our research indicates that Royal Mail is currently the most environmentally friendly option for UK deliverables, while in Europe, it is FedEx. We would rather not fly; if you are based in the UK, we will ship from the UK. If you are based in Europe, we will ship from Europe.
AFTERLIFE
We hope that you will treasure your Aberdevine lingerie for many years. But when the time comes and you deem them no longer suitable, please send them back to us. We’ll reuse all the parts we can and recycle the rest. As a thank you, we’ll give you 5GBP off your next purchase. Just drop us an email to help@aberdevine.co and we will help you arrange this.
YOUR ROLE
We do our best to make the most ethical lingerie possible, but you also make it truly sustainable. Please take the time to read the care label on any item you purchase from us, to ensure each garment stays with you for many years to come.
CHARITABLE COMMITMENT
For every item you buy from Aberdevine, we will give £1.00 directly to charity. For 2025, our selected charity is the Helmsley Walled Garden in the North Yorkshire Moors. Your donations will go towards planting and caring for a wildflower patch, supporting the biodiversity of our beautiful planet.
LOOKING FORWARD
At Aberdevine, sustainability is a journey. It is a commitment we make every day through the many decisions we make. We realise there is always room for improvement, and we promise to keep working and researching to be the best we can be.