“tonlé designs and makes comfortable, wearable clothes that are as original and beautiful as the people who make them. We adhere to principles of transparency, fairness, and waste reduction in everything we do, from the big stuff like wages, down to the little things like the materials in our buttons.”
My New Neighbour is SO excited to tell you about tonlé, a zero-waste clothing producer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where employees earn well above minimum wage, are provided benefits and work in a team environment that encourages skill building and creativity.
Three of our favourite things about tonlé:
Humans are treated like humans… tonlé honours the innate creativity and longing for belonging every human has by using a team model in their workshops instead of assembly lines. Their employees earn well above local minimum wage, are offered benefits, as well as extensive training that allows them the opportunity to move from entry level to managerial positions.
Zero waste… The entire production line at tonlé leaves 0% waste through creative pattern making and creating garments from remnant materials in factory scrap piles before they go to the landfill. When the remnant pieces get really small, tonlé has created a formula for making paper out of them!
One of a kind… tonlé uses natural dyes, hand weaving and specifically designs pieces to incorporate leftover fabrics from their production line as well as leftovers from other factories. Even their small pieces such as buttons or buckles are sourced ethically in Cambodia from partner suppliers or factory cast offs.
Shop their adorable apparel and learn more about why being an environmentally conscious and transparent company is changing lives in Cambodia by clicking here.
tonlé holds pop up shops in Canada every so often, check out their Facebook page or keep tabs on My New Neighbour’s Instagram and Twitter to find out when and where their next one will be!
https://www.mynewneighbour.ca/blog/brand-love-tonl