At Florence, we believe that responsible manufacturing and sustainable business practices go hand-in-hand with exploration. We know our gear has to perform, but if that jacket or shirt is made in a way that harms the planet, it’s directly affecting the places we explore.

The environment will continue to change, but our responsibility to make the right choices for the planet will be an ongoing commitment.

Across the board, we’re using almost-exclusively recycled materials in the gear we make – down to the tag.  

In our T-shirts, we utilize a blend of recycled polyester and recycled organic cotton. Recycled poly mixes well with this form of long-strand cotton for a comfortable feel and gives new life to polyester clothing found in post-consumer waste.

Recycled polyester is an essential fiber for us. Found in our boardshorts, hats and more, its lightweight and quick-drying properties make it invaluable for much of our water-based gear. 

Beyond our clothing, we’re committed to using recycled materials wherever we can in our business – whether that’s in the hangtag attached to your new gear or the in-store signage educating you on its performance benefits. 

A section of our T-Shirt line uses Recover™, a system that transforms textile waste straight from the factory floor into high-quality recycled fibers. These fibers are considered some of the lowest impact textiles and help us close the loop on the things we make.

Recover™ recycled cotton fiber is the most sustainable cotton solution available today according to the Higgs MSI Index. Textiles made through this system can flow through the recycling process for many life-cycles, and create long-lasting, high-value products in each successive generation. 

Lastly, the T-shirts we make from Recover™ are never dyed twice. The textile waste that’s collected is color sorted before being converted and spun into new fibers, saving energy, avoiding pollutants and limiting our water use.

When possible, we use recycled or upcycled materials. When we can’t, we shift our focus to organic cotton. 

Normally, cotton can be the largest water users of any crop. In areas of low precipitation, farmers have to implement irrigation systems that lead to freshwater loss, poor water management and a bigger carbon footprint. 

But organic cotton is intentionally farmed in areas of heavy rainfall so nature can do its thing and unnatural irrigation can be avoided altogether. Further, organic farming upholds biodiversity and supports a healthier ecosystem. 

DWR (durable-water repellent) coating is a standard application on weather-ready jackets, boardshorts and more. The problem? The vast majority of DWR coatings are harmful to the atmosphere due to fluorocarbons – a compound that overtime can degrade the ozone. 

We couldn’t turn our back on this feature, but we had to find a solution that married performance to sustainability – a happy chemical medium we refer to as ‘responsible chemistry.’ 

Enter C0 DWR – a DWR that generates ZERO fluorocarbons, and the treatment you’ll find on our gear. It keeps the water off but keeps the ozone and surrounding environment intact.

SeaTrees provides companies and individuals the opportunity to take action on climate change by planting and protecting mangrove SeaTrees in coastal ecosystems. Mangrove trees are as much as 5x more effective in storing carbon than tropical forests, with every mangrove tree planted equating to 1 ton of CO₂ stored, keeping that carbon out of the atmosphere.

In partnership with SeaTrees and Sustainable Surf, we are planting 1 mangrove tree on your behalf when you sign up for a Florence Marine X Society membership. 

Learn more about membership, the benefits that come with and how to sign up.

Responsible manufacturing, sourcing and humane treatment of factory workers is fundamental to our business philosophy.