Hatley and the environment

After some soul searching, a few well-intentioned ‘green’ initiatives and some consulting fees, we think we have figured out what Hatley and the environment is all about – quality. This is the key factor because it means that the products Hatley makes are designed to last. Your PJs will make it to child number three, four and more. You won’t get tired of laughing at a pair of boxers and your raincoat won’t leak. A Hatley product will always have a place in your home and not in a dumpster.

When Hatley designs a product we try and ensure it’s made from natural fibers, in an environmentally sensitive way and at a facility that shares our values. We visit all the factories involved in making Hatley products. We make it a priority to understand the manufacturing processes, get to know the owners and develop meaningful relationships based on trust.

Hatley is seeking LEED certification for its offices and warehouse, has an aggressive recycling program and is constantly looking for ways to streamline operations.

Our green policy is less about any one thing and more about making thoughtful decisions every day. Our practices include:

• We use only azo-free dyes in our apparel.
• We have replaced all our polybags in India with Mater-Bi bags. These bags are 100% compostable and biodegradable, made out of starch and cotton seeds. They are completely non-toxic and will degrade in your compost in less than 2 months. So far we have replaced about 1 million bags a year with these bags. We're currently in the process of replacing all our shipping bags from China with the same material.
• We only use non-chlorinated bleach.
• We use only closed loop dyers. This ensures that the waste water from the dyeing process does not contaminate the water table of the communities we work with.
• We have a company goal to use organic cotton, natural fibers, and alternative sustainable fibers as much as possible.
• Our catalogues are printed on paper that comes from FSC managed forests.
• All of our magnetic lists are printed on recycled paper.
• All of our products are PVC free.
• All hang tags and packaging are printed using vegetable ink on unbleached, uncoated and recycled paper whenever available.

Lake Massawippi

North Hatley, (Hatley’s namesake), lies on Lake Massawippi in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The lake, local tourism and residents havd suffered tremendously from the discovery of cyanobacteria in the water. Founded in 2007, the Hatley Massawippu Water Initiative is a program dedicated to helping the local North Hatley community maintain clean and adequate water resources, to protect the health of its local residents in addition to maintaining local industry. Hatley donates a percentage of its profits and resources each year to the Lake Massawippi Water Protection Association, a lobby group that exists in an endeavor to preserve the quality of the lake and its watershed.