Sustainability in the textile industry is a serious subject — and one that's often spoken about loosely. We'd rather tell you exactly what we do today, what we're working towards, and what we don't yet do, than make broad green claims we can't back up.
Here's where we stand right now.
Recyclable packaging
Every Dove & Thread order ships in recycled corrugated cardboard cartons — no plastic mailers, no virgin packaging, no styrofoam fillers. The cardboard itself is recyclable in standard kerbside recycling streams across the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Inside, our linens are wrapped only in what's needed to keep them clean during transit. We use minimal printing on the box (single-colour navy with copper accents) so the packaging doesn't end up in landfill before it serves its purpose.
The box itself is designed to do real work — not just look good in transit. The back panel carries product information, the OEKO-TEX® certification mark, and a clearly printed "Please recycle" logo. The side panel houses four QR codes that link directly to our FAQs, care instructions, contact, and Instagram — letting customers access support and product care information without paper inserts.
Less paper. Less plastic. More information.
OEKO-TEX® certified fabric
Our bed linens are made with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified fabric — independently tested against more than 100 harmful substance parameters, including formaldehyde, heavy metals, allergenic dyes, and pesticide residues. This means the cotton you sleep against has been verified safe for direct skin contact by an external laboratory, not just by us. You can read the certificate on our Certifications page.
White only — by design
We make our bedding and towels in optic white only. This isn't just an aesthetic choice — it's a meaningful sustainability decision. White means no synthetic dyes, no dye-rinse water pollution, and a fabric that can be bleached with mild oxygen-based whiteners (rather than discarded) when stained. White linens also have a much longer functional life because they don't fade, don't go out of fashion, and don't reveal wear the way colours do. The hospitality industry has used white for generations for exactly these reasons.
Long-staple cotton, longer life
The most environmentally damaging part of any textile is making it. The longer a sheet lasts, the more years pass before it needs to be replaced — and the more environmental cost is amortised across that lifespan. We use long-staple cotton across our entire range because it's stronger, smoother, and lasts substantially longer than short-staple cotton. A well-cared-for Dove & Thread sheet should give you 4–5 years of comfortable use. A short-staple commodity sheet, often advertised at higher thread counts, may pill and weaken in 1–2 years.
Built where the expertise is
Our products are manufactured in Ghaziabad, India, in a facility that has produced bed and bath linens for the global hospitality industry for over 20 years. India is one of the world's two largest cotton producers — situating manufacturing close to the cotton fields reduces transportation emissions in the most material-intensive stage of the supply chain. The facility employs experienced textile workers, including weavers, finishers, and inspectors, who have built deep skill across decades. We pay competitive wages by local standards and operate in compliance with Indian labour law.
Independent quality testing
Every thread count tier is independently lab-tested by NITRA (Northern India Textile Research Association) — a laboratory linked to the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. NITRA verifies our actual ends per inch and picks per inch, plus blend composition. This matters for sustainability because the bedding industry is rife with inflated thread count claims and hidden polyester blends — both of which lead to worse, shorter-lived products. Our published reports are available on the Certifications page.
What we don't yet claim — and are working on
We want to be straight with you about what we haven't yet achieved.
- Organic cotton certification (GOTS): Not yet. GOTS is a meaningful certification covering both organic farming and ethical processing, but it's a multi-year supply chain undertaking. We're evaluating it for future product lines.
- Carbon footprint disclosure: We don't yet publish a formal carbon accounting. As we grow, we plan to commission a Life Cycle Assessment so we can share specific numbers rather than vague claims.
- Take-back / recycling program: Old cotton sheets can be repurposed (cleaning rags, donations) or sometimes recycled into industrial products. We don't yet operate a structured take-back program but are researching partnerships.
- Renewable energy at the factory: Our facility runs on grid power, which in India is a mix of coal, hydro, solar, and gas. We're investigating on-site solar feasibility.
- OEKO-TEX in our own name: Our current OEKO-TEX certificate is held by our fabric supplier. We're working on obtaining the certification in Dove & Thread's own name as well.
Our ethics, in plain language
- We won't inflate thread counts or invent specifications. The numbers on our pages match the lab reports we publish.
- We won't make sustainability claims we can't substantiate with documents.
- We won't sell our customers' personal data, ever.
- We won't use deceptive countdown timers, fake stock urgency, or dark patterns to push purchases.
- We will tell you honestly when something doesn't suit you — for example, if 800 TC sateen would be too warm for your climate, our guides will tell you so even though it costs us a higher-margin sale.
Honest products. Honest claims. Honest pricing.
That's what sustainability and ethics mean to us — today, and as we grow.