The Look Company is working hard to provide our customers with sustainable products and services to support green initiatives. We are continually working to lessen our environmental impact by choosing materials that are eco-responsible while improving our manufacturing processes to be sustainably impactful.
Manufacturing
To lessen our environmental impact and improve our ecological footprint in our manufacturing facility we have replaced all halogen lighting with low-energy LED panels. In order to save energy and maximize efficiency, our digital printing is enclosed into self-contained, controlled environment rooms, enabling us to manage temperature and humidity within a smaller area.
Materials
The Look Company uses direct dye sublimation printing, eliminating the need for transfer paper as inks are printed directly onto the coated substrate. Our fabric graphic inks are water-based (aqueous) to minimize environmental impact in production and waste disposal Low-carbon Hydro Reduxa aluminum is available to our customers upon request. It is produced using renewable energy from water (hydropower), wind, and solar, resulting in cleaner, environmentally sourced aluminum. Hydro REDUXA aluminum reduces the carbon footprint per kg of aluminum to 4.0 kg CO2 which is less than a quarter of the global average.
Sustainable engineering practices have been applied to all of the hardware designs in our product line. The extrusions that make our products have been optimized for the best strength to mass ratio, to reduce unnecessary metal weight without lowering the structural integrity of the parts.
Our edge retention keder product is made from fully recycled products and can be reclaimed and recycled many times, reducing the need to dispose of it in landfills. It does not contain any PVC or silicon and lowers the re-manufacturing energy impact of the keder product. Threads used in finishing our printed fabric products are also PVC free.
All of our fabrics and frame systems are recyclable. Approximately 99% of all products our company produces (by weight) are recyclable at the end of their lifecycle.
MOGwear (Memories of the Games) recycling program was launched in 2010. Branded materials from sporting events are repurposed into bags, clothing, and other items. The Look Company is currently working on a worldwide fabric return and recycling program that we hope to launch with various partners during the next year.
Our new next generation lightbox LED lighting system reduces heat and energy consumption by approximately 60% compared to previous LED systems. The LEDs are color temperature matched to ensure the lowest power is used, without compromising visual quality.
Packaging & Shipping
In an effort to reduce carbon emissions expressed during the shipping process, we have streamlined our product offerings and packaging. By using primarily fabric substrates for printing and kitting many of our components, packaging is significantly reduced. With the lower weight and volume, packages can be shipped directly to the customer with the use of smaller trucks and non-commercial vehicles.
Coming Soon
The Look Company has several projects in place which will allow us to continue to push forward with sustainability in the near future:
Currently testing a latex printing process that uses ⅓ of the power and inks that are even more environmentally friendly.
Currently testing fabrics made from post-consumer waste.
Working with fabric recyclers in Europe to develop a circular economy for used fabrics to be returned for recycling.
The Look Company: Your Sustainable Printing Partners
We are committed to becoming a leader in sustainability within our industry. That means both sustainable materials and working towards becoming carbon neutral. Our high-profile sports customers like the NHL and CFL demand it. Our retail customers demand it. But most importantly, we demand it of ourselves. As a familyowned company, we understand the need to pass down a better world to future generations.