How Australian Streetwear brand Afends Combats Climate Change

Editorial TeamEditorial Team
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September 15th, 2022
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12:21 PM

Afends is the first Australian brand to sign up to Kuehne+Nagel’s industry-leading Net Zero Carbon program.

Afends was born in 2006 in the small coastal town of Byron Bay Australia. With the added culture of surfing and skateboarding to the punk and hardcore movement of 2006, the spirit and style of Afends molded to give the feeling that we are still keeping up with the times. Declan and Jono have formed a global family of like-minded and creative people, united by a shared passion for bringing the spirit of how we live. We are constantly evolving from rank to rank, adapting and being inspired by future trends based on the Afends’ way of life. Their philosophy is "Question Everything" it's not about us educating people, it's about us inspiring people to educate themselves: don't believe everything you hear or see, but investigate and find the answers for yourself.  

  With its collections evolving from range to range, Afends has been built around the culture of surfing and skateboarding, its ethos is to inspire change and educate young people on the issues surrounding the environment. This is why organic hemp is a staple in its garments. Hemp is considered a revolutionary fiber. As a weed, it grows with rainwater and no pesticides, making it environmentally sustainable. While trees take years to grow, hemp can be grown in a few months. Practically every part of the plant can be used, with the fiber of the stalks outer bast used in textile manufacturing. Hemp production returns 60-70% of the nutrients it takes from the soil, so it’s gentle on the earth. It also requires very little water and land to cultivate. It can actually produce up to double the fiber content per hectare than cotton. In addition, Afends fabrics carry GOTS, Organic Content Standard, and Organic Content Standard Blended certifications to prove its commitment to sustainable fabrics.   Partnership with Kuehne+Nagel Today, the industry is being hit hard by the desire for sustainability, triggered by an array of factors. These include the determination to correct the public image damage and industry shortcomings documented by researchers, new sustainability regulations and compliance targets in some major economies, voluntary sustainability initiatives launched by fashion industry leaders and groups, and growing consumer awareness of the threats posed by climate change and environmental issues.

  Headquartered in Switzerland with a worldwide presence, Kuehne+Nagel provides solutions to logistics emissions for companies. Afends is the first Australian brand to sign up for Kuehne+Nagel’s Net Zero Carbon programme, and so provides the apparel brand with CO2 neutralisation services for their full container load shipments. According to the Australian National University, transport is the second largest source of carbon emissions in Australia after electricity production. Kuehne+Nagel addresses the reduction of CO2 in logistics worldwide and with its Net Zero Carbon programme, it provides companies all over the world with environmentally friendly and sustainable supply chain solutions. Kuehne+Nagel is headquartered in Switzerland, with a worldwide presence. We focus our business on the most essential element: the needs of our customers. Over the past 130 years, Kuehne+Nagel has evolved from a traditional transportation company into a global logistics partner offering highly specialized solutions for major industries around the world.