In the rapidly changing industry of clothing apparel and the waste that comes with it, we talk to Tsunami Sport who pride themselves on building a brand that creates 90% of their clothing by converting plastic water bottles into an eco-fabric. 

It’s no coincidence that these principles result in high-quality, high-performance products for athletes who want to make a change and a difference.  

Currently based in Hong Kong and New Zealand, Tsunami has clients situated all over the world with a current employee base of 18, most of whom are based in Hong Kong and looking to expand into New Zealand as business continues to grow. 

Disrupting the industry 

Since 2005, Tsunami has built a reputation as the first choice eco teamwear brand, for any athlete, at any level.  

Tsunami believes; Eco Apparel should be the norm, not the exception. 

As a company, Tsunami is always aiming to be at the forefront of fabric technology, while further developing processes that minimise their industry’s impact on the environment.  

So far, it’s safe to say Tsunami is making a positive impact on the apparel industry, not only by producing innovative products and designs, but also being eco-mindful about the production process and the materials they use. 

We now exist in a time in which the environment is at its most vulnerable, and this industry plays a significant part in impacting our precious environment. Tsunami identified very early on that the way teamwear and uniforms were made needed to be changed. They originally set out to make a better product people would want to wear and Tsunami would be proud to put their logo on.  

However, this quickly changed into a much bigger drive to disrupt an industry that had a mindset of being very wasteful, within a price-driven market.  

Tsunami set out to systematically break the supply chain down. From the raw materials that make their fabric, to the way they design and manufacture products.  

This naturally led into other areas where they could see improvements.   

How many plastic bags does the world use each year?  

Currently the world uses approximately 5 trillion plastic bags per year! That’s 160,000 a second and the equivalent to over 700 a year for every single person on the planet!!  

Andrew Chambers, CEO and Founder said, “Our business model goes far beyond using sustainable fabrics and printing techniques; our entire process is designed to have as little impact on the environment as possible. Not only do we recycle, but we also reduce and conserve materials and energy in our factories and offices. 

“It’s not just about the apparel though. We have gone right down to eliminating all plastic from our packaging. Plastic bags are hard to get rid of these days and Tsunami’s products need to travel, so we developed ‘Aquasolit’ a technology composed of two starchy polymers that dissolve in water and are completely toxic-free to animals and humans. 

“We also decided years ago that hang tags were of no use to anyone and only added to production emissions and plastic pollution. Therefore, labels are printed directly to the inside of products instead.” 

As an award-winning company with such accolades as, the silver award for the ‘SME – Shops and Retail’ category by the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE), Tsunami is now recognised as one of the leaders in their industry, for their eco-business model, judged on three main areas: Green Leadership, Programme and Performance, and Partner Synergy. 

Keeping things simple  

Andrew says a key part was simplifying their processes by implementing TidyStock cloud software, because it has the right balance of features and functionality and at the same time is reasonably priced.   

Andrew said, “We implemented TidyStock three months ago, so we are still in the early stages. We are always discovering features that we were not initially aware of.  

“TidyStock streamlined our purchasing process and ensures we are charged correctly by our suppliers. As a customised teamwear brand, we have many variables in prices for the same items, depending on details like collar options, type of fabric used, etc and checking prices can be time consuming sometimes.  

“Using TidyStock also streamlined our Purchase Order process and reduced the time spent checking supplier bills. TidyStock also keeps track of our stock, side by side with our in-house stock records. Checking supplier invoices against our new Purchase Orders have made our accounts payable so much quicker and easier.” 

The future is about driving change 

Tsunami continues to make new leaps and bounds in their practices and have paved the way for other companies to do the same.  

They are glad to see other sportswear companies starting to adopt environmentally friendly practices in their designs and it is nice to know that they’ve been leading this change. 

From initial design logistics to factory working standards, Tsunami constantly looks to improve their systems and processes to minimise their environmental impact. Since their inception this has been Tsunami’s mission, and they are deeply passionate about it. 

Andrew also said, “At Tsunami Sport, we are driving change. We challenge and push boundaries to make sportswear products that secure great, long-lasting performance and are made in a way that does not harm our world today - nor in the future.   

“Approaching the innovation challenge from an environmental perspective and developing them in close partnership with our suppliers helps us make products that are better for consumers and better for our world.”