Sunken Paradise's Commitment to Sustainability
Learn a little more about our brand's sustainability efforts.
Our brand prides itself on using only the highest quality materials, with a particular emphasis on sourcing our supplies from ethical wholesalers. The cotton used for all of our shirt designs is SUPIMA® cotton. Often known as the "champagne of the cotton industry", SUPIMA® cotton makes up around 1% cotton grown in the entire world. Prized for its softness and durability, we hope that our passion for quality and environmental activism will be reflected in every step of our production process.
Supima® Explained
The SUPIMA® trademark is the consumers’ guarantee that the branded textile product they are buying contains U.S.- Grown Pima Cotton. By licensing the entire supply chain (that’s right, the entire supply chain) SUPIMA® provides added assurance to customers that SUPIMA® trademarked goods are made with 100% U.S. Pima cotton.
Only SUPIMA® licensees are authorized to use the official SUPIMA® Hang tag. There is added value to using the SUPIMA® trademark- it means a brand is associated with the highest quality apparel. To maintain the premium focus of the trademark, the SUPIMA® license is non-transferable. This allows SUPIMA® visibility throughout the supply chain of the use of its trademark, as well as to control the quality and integrity of products that bear the SUPIMA® name.
When building our company it was imperative to us that we use SUPIMA® cotton as it certifies that we are dedicated to providing sustainable and high-quality products to our customers. Being eco-friendly when it comes to producing garments should not be an option or an afterthought, rather it should be at the forefront of one's standard of production.
How Sustainable Farming Works
The cotton naturally absorbs different levels of trace elements and isotopes from the soil, water and environment.
These trace elements give Supima cotton a unique, identifying fingerprint.
All data profiles of the Supima growing regions are then stored in a central database managed by Oritain.
Samples can be collected from any stage of the supply chain and authenticated against the origin fingerprint.
A product’s unique fingerprint can then be matched to Supima’s origin database.
Supima is able to authenticate the existence of Supima cotton in any product as well as point of origin.
Sustainability by Nature
Stalks, Stems, & Leaves
All plant materials besides the seed and fiber is captured during the ginning process and is utilized in the local cattle industry as much needed bedding for livestock. By law, all fields must be cleared of plant material to prevent insect populations from nesting over the winter and affecting the next crops. Many growers will also flood-irrigate fields as a natural way to reduce pests while laying a base level of soil moisture for the next planting season.
SUPIMA® Seed
One of the most valuable bi-products of the seed is cottonseed oil. It’s considered a premium oil because it is flavorless, odorless, and has a high flash point. Additionally, after crushing the seed to extract the oil, the seed hull is an important source of protein that can be integrated into feed mixes for livestock.
Fiber
As a premium, extra-long staple cotton, great care is taken to preserve the fiber’s premium qualities. This is particularly evident during the ginning process, when the seed is removed from the fiber. All SUPIMA® cotton is ginned on “roller gins” that operate at much lower speeds in order to gently separate the fiber from the seed. In contrast, regular cotton is processed by high-speed “saw gins” which use a more aggressive system to break the fiber away from the seed.
What is the Difference between “Pima Cotton” and “SUPIMA® Cotton”?
SUPIMA® cotton is only grown in the United States and makes up only 1% of the cotton fabric grown globally. It is understood as the highest quality of cotton available. SUPIMA® cotton is simply "superior pima" cotton. Pima cotton is a soft and durable cotton, but SUPIMA® builds on top of that to produce an even higher quality cotton. Pima cotton blanks have extra long fibers which provide some softness, durability, and strength. However SUPIMA® cotton blanks are made of the most durable cotton while providing the silkiest, softest feel of cotton available in the world. Both Pima and SUPIMA® cottons are regarded as higher grade than traditional cotton, but there is not a better cotton produced in the world than SUPIMA® Cotton.