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Horizon school students in Snells Beach will sport a brand-new uniform next year, chosen because the methods used to produce it are both ethical and environmentally friendly.
Horizon principal Helen Pearson elected to source the school uniforms from Little Yellow Bird, after doing some research into the Wellington-based company.
The clothes are made in India and use sustainably produced organic cotton and recycled materials as far as possible.
For boys, the company produces shorts, trousers, shirts and jerseys.
For girls, it makes pinafores, shorts, skirts and trousers.
Little Yellow Bird worked alongside Horizon to design the uniform, which was finalised following input from students.
“The company pays fair wages and ensures the agricultural methods employed in the production of cotton are good for the area. They also invest back into education in India,” Helen says.
The uniforms are also free of Teflon, which is often used in school clothing to make it more waterproof and stain resistant. But Teflon has come under fire in recent years for its alleged negative environmental and health impacts.
Last year, Little Yellow Bird won the Transforming New Zealand Award and the Hardwired for Good category at the NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards.
Judges said the company has a “deep and authentic commitment to social good throughout the organisation, business model, supply chain and funding approach.”
Helen says a television documentary about Little Yellow Bird is planned and its anticipated a Horizon student and teacher will feature in the film as they travel to India to learn more about the production of the uniform.
The insight they gain will be incorporated into Horizon’s science, environment and social
studies curriculums.
