Sustainability

Our commitment to sustainability

At AA Dance Costumes, sustainability is integral to our mission to build and design products that create magical experiences while empowering and inspiring every person to dance and be active. From product design through sourcing, manufacturing, delivery, and product end-of-life, we are driven to make a difference with our products both in how our customers create with them and in the impact their development has on our environment.

Instead of mass production, we focus on made-to-order pieces and limited collections designed by AA Dance Costumes, created exclusively at our Atelier in Miami, Florida USA.

Materials

All of our fabrics are individually selected from local American suppliers who also support our approach to sustainability. We research our suppliers and avoid fabrics that use unsustainably produced inks or dyes, even when costs are higher. Leftover garments and waste fabrics from our workshop are recycled or donated to dance schools around the USA.

AA DANCE COSTUMES ships with 100% recycled or compostable materials. This includes cornstarch pouches, plant-derived tape and 100% recycled mailers. In 2018 we made the decision to stop printing annual catalogues as part of our global efforts to reduce waste. Like all brands, we face continuing challenges. Currently we're looking at how the fabric industry is dealing with the waste and by-products created during the production of Nylon and Lycra. We're also looking into the most efficient uses for our waste fabric snippets.

Packaging

Integrating sustainability in our packaging designs and measuring results is a business priority. We focus on using less packaging and selecting the right materials for the environment. We are committed to designing and delivering packaging materials that achieve measurable sustainability gains. 

Community

AA DANCE COSTUMES is a proud member of and contributor to the dance community. We prioritize outreach and consistently seek out sponsorships, partnerships, and collaborations with local organizations. Our intent is to find like-minded partners and contribute to important conversations about the arts and the industry surrounding it.

 All our deliveries are carbon neutral

AA Dance Costumes is now a certified member of Shopify Planet. With Planet, every time our customers ship an order, they support some of the most promising climate solutions on Earth. Each project has been vetted by the Shopify Sustainability Fund, which has committed more than $30 million to these same projects.

How it works

Every month, Planet calculates the total shipping emissions generated by our orders and charges us a fee for each order, but actual cost will vary based on shipping distance, package weight, and mode of transportation, all of which affect a delivery's emissions. All of this money goes toward carbon removal and ensures that our shipping is carbon neutral.

AA DANCE COSTUMES actively supports environmental solutions with both annual contributions and everyday actions. As a business we have a responsibility to protect our planet and the resources it provides to us. Follow us to learn more about some of the organizations we are supporting this year.

Follow us along @AA Dance Costumes for more social and environmental impact updates.