Steel Pony, established in 1992, is a specialty boutique manufacturer and retailer of a line of clothing and handbags that are 100% Made in America. The company is located in the heart of the Fabric District of Philadelphia, where each piece is custom made, dyed by hand, and individually crafted. Using only eco-friendly materials, including California-grown cotton and Massachusetts-sourced dyes, the fabrics are knit in North Carolina and upstate New York, then finished, sewn, and sold in Philadelphia and their online retail store.
Charging Towards Zero-Waste
In any manufacturing environment, waste or “scrap” is an ongoing issue. More and more companies are recognizing that dealing with waste throughout the manufacturing process is better for the environment and represents cost savings or revenue opportunities down the line.
Steel Pony’s aim for zero-waste manufacturing has resulted in a culture of saving out-cuts and leftover materials and using them to create new things. By implementing low impact manufacturing processes, Steel Pony uses 99% of all production materials.
Making the Right Cuts
With sustainability as a core value since the company’s inception, Steel Pony’s list of greening initiatives and achievements is long, but their main goal is to keep things out of landfills, which dramatically and negatively impact the environment. As an example, in their dying process, they use very little water and do not use dryers, so the impact to the environment is very low. They work hard to reduce the use of paper, and they recycle everything they can. They also use lighting that is more sustainable.
Be the Change
As a leader in sustainability, Steel Pony believes that educating their community – both in their home city of Philadelphia along with their online community – is as important as reaching their corporate greening goals. And with those beliefs, visibility and accountability are keys to getting the message out as they hope to lead and inspire others to do what they can for the planet that we share.
As a next step in Steel Pony’s corporate citizenship and environmental stewardship, the company is moving into a new area. They plan to choose an environmental Non-Profit as their Non-Profit of Choice for an exciting new project called Almost-Zero.
If you want to truly change the world, Be the Change. Steel Pony is leading and changing the Clothing Industry as a proud and vibrant member of Green Business Bureau. For more information about Steel Pony, please visit their website at www.steelpony.com
