Here at Move Dance we’re committed to becoming a more sustainable dancewear brand, business and employer. Over the last few years we have taken our first big steps to improve our carbon footprint in areas such as packaging and products. Becoming more sustainable, carbon neutral and working towards Net Zero is a huge project, especially as we look for solutions that keep costs affordable for our customers. We are dedicating ourselves to the task in order to be a responsible business with sustainable products and services. 

Our key focus points are on proper measurement of impact, legitimate reduction in impact and keeping our products accessible. This means it will take some time to find the best solutions and be able to apply them to products, but this should ensure the biggest impact when rolled out. 

On this page you will find the steps we have taken so far and what we are working towards in the future. 

Carbon Footprint: 

We are in the process of auditing and measuring our carbon footprint. Although we are a small business, we do have a wide range of products and activities that are being assessed so that we can track our progress towards carbon neutrality, reducing our CO2 footprint and ultimately Net Zero. Check back here for updates on our project. 

https://positiveplanet.uk/ 

Production: 

The factories we work with: 

We’re really proud of our own brand Move Dance products that we design in-house for dancers. Our products are made to withstand long hours in the studio and are high quality and comfortable. To create these products we work with selected factories around the world to ensure fair working conditions and excellent quality, located in the UK, China, Turkey, Taiwan & India. Having worked with some of these suppliers from the beginning of Move Dance back in 2007, we have built a great relationship with each of them. These factories are responsible for creating your Move Dance favourites such as Brook leotard & Kimi ballet wrap! 

The materials we use: 

At Move Dance we want to create the highest quality dancewear that is comfortable for you to dance in, especially for a full day of dancing. To create these products we spend a long time choosing the right fabrics. Currently, our ranges use performance fabrics such as cotton, polyamide blends & technical Lycra due to their durability and ability to allow ease of movement. We’re proud to say that in 2022 we launched the first Move Dance Vegan Ballet Shoe and introduced the Move Dance Patti Top which is made of organic cotton.  

We are constantly evolving and producing fab new ranges for you which means we are always looking for new materials, our focus for new ranges is finding good quality sustainable fabrics such as natural fibres like bamboo and organic cotton and also recycled fabrics and yarn for knitwear. Our priority is to be able to replace popular ranges with sustainable materials such as bamboo and recycled materials in order to get as big an impact as possible. This development is across thousands of products that we need to keep at an attainable price to make it an easy choice for customers and therefore a meaningful positive impact. Going forward we are working on making the majority of our ranges sustainable as soon as we can. Did you know some of your favourite Move Dance ranges are made in the UK?  Some of our Alegra branded products and The Euphoria Collection are manufactured in a UK factory! 

 

 

 

Our first sustainable & affordable ranges are nearly here, these will be the initial steps to transition the bulk of our products to sustainable textiles over the next few years!

 

In the future: we expect to be able to replace much of the normal dancewear with sustainable textiles and keep them at an affordable price point. 

Packaging: 

After you’ve ordered your fab new dancewear you’ll receive your order in recycled packaging. Our eco-friendly mail bags are made from 97% recycled LDPE. When deciding on our packaging we undertook a lot of analysis to make sure we are using high-quality but also as environmentally friendly as possible materials. In our research we found that many of the previously “sustainable” choices that businesses frequently made (paper bags, plant based plastic, compostable materials) were actually detrimental to the sustainability cause and sometimes had a bigger CO2 impact. We settled on a recycled plastic bag (at 97% recycled content which is the highest it's possible to manufacture) and this provides the lowest carbon footprint compared to other packaging and diverts waste away from landfill. We have also removed all bubble wrap & most plastic tape to make sure 95% of plastic has been removed from ancillary dispatch packaging in our warehouse. 

The smaller bags inside your package that your new dancewear comes in, is a zip lock recyclable plastic bag. To further help the environment in packaging we are investigating bags made from other recyclable materials and improving our tights packaging so they arrive in craft card and recyclable plastic packaging. Research shows if dancewear doesn’t come in a good bag, the CO2 impact from waste is worse due to damage of goods. 

Using recycled materials may involve plastic but it diverts waste away from landfill and is frequently the lowest CO2 impact way to package goods, so has the biggest positive impact.

 

If you’re signed up as a dance teacher you may receive a yearly dancewear catalogue to have a look through our lovely ranges and help you order. We’re pleased to let you know that the catalogue is fully recyclable, as is the packaging it is delivered in. The Move Dance catalogue is sent to a targeted number of dance teachers to reduce wastage this means we are able to send out less than half the catalogues we have done in prior years.

 

 

In the future: we expect to be able to use recycled materials in almost all of our packaging, and create the lowest CO2 solution to protect the products in storage and transit. 

Responsibly Made Items

At Move Dance we are introducing more and more ranges of apparel that we call Responsibly Made. These are where we have managed to make a material or significant step forward in the sustainability of their manufacture. This is most frequently by being able to use textiles that have a lower environmental impact - either because they are made from recycled materials or from lower impact activity (e.g. organic farming). Below we have set out in more detail what these textiles are and some details on why they are considered lower impact / more responsible. As we develop more products that are responsibly made we will detail here the aspects of their textiles that are lower impact. 

Textile	Description	Details
Bamboo Rayon	Bamboo rayon is a natural textile of regenerated cellulose fibre derived from bamboo, known for its sustainability and soft texture.	Bamboo rayon is produced from the pulp of bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource that can grow up to a meter a day without the need for pesticides or fertilizers1. This makes bamboo cultivation significantly more eco-friendly than many other textile crops. The process of turning bamboo into rayon involves chemically treating the harvested bamboo, which has raised some environmental concerns. However, when compared to conventional textiles, bamboo rayon still offers a more sustainable alternative due to the inherent benefits of bamboo as a crop. It requires less water, reduces soil erosion, and captures more CO2 from the atmosphere2. Additionally, bamboo rayon's natural antibacterial properties make it a popular choice for activewear and undergarments3.
Recycled Nylon	Recycled polyester is a more sustainable alternative to virgin polyester, made from repurposed plastic bottles or previously used polyester products.	Recycled polyester is created by melting down existing plastic and re-spinning it into new polyester fiber1. This innovative process negates the need for petroleum extraction, a primary component in conventional polyester production, leading to substantial energy savings. Opting for recycled polyester over its virgin counterpart can lead to a CO2 emissions reduction of up to 50%2. Moreover, by giving a second life to plastic bottles and preventing them from ending up in landfills or oceans, recycled polyester plays a pivotal role in combating plastic pollution. This sustainable textile not only conserves energy and curtails greenhouse gas emissions but also champions a circular economy where materials are reused and repurposed, thus minimizing waste and environmental degradation3
Organic Cotton	Organic cotton is a natural fibre cultivated without the use of synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms. It's biodegradeable and also more ethical for textile workers.	Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a lower environmental impact than conventional cotton1. Unlike its conventional counterpart, organic cotton farming avoids the use of toxic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs)2. This not only reduces the harm to the environment but also to the farmers who cultivate it. Organic cotton production has been shown to produce up to 46% less CO2 compared to conventional cotton3. Moreover, it promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles, leading to healthier soil and reduced water usage4. By choosing organic cotton, consumers can support sustainable farming practices that prioritize the environment and the well-being of those who produce it5.
Tencel	Tencel, also known as lyocell, is a sustainable fabric made from wood pulp, primarily from eucalyptus, spruce, and beech trees.	Tencel is a brand name for lyocell, a fiber made from the cellulose of wood pulp, primarily sourced from eucalyptus, spruce, and beech trees1. These trees are grown on sustainably managed farms that don't require pesticides or irrigation, making the raw material acquisition more eco-friendly. The production process of Tencel uses a closed-loop system, where solvents and water are recycled with a recovery rate of more than 99%, reducing environmental waste and chemical pollution2. Compared to cotton, Tencel production uses up to 80% less water3. The resulting fabric is not only biodegradable but also offers a soft, breathable, and less prone to wrinkles texture, making it a favorite in sustainable fashion. By choosing Tencel, consumers can enjoy the luxury of high-quality fabric while minimizing their environmental footprint.
Recycled Polyester	Recycled polyester is a sustainable fabric derived from recycled plastic bottles or previously used polyester items.	Recycled polyester is made by melting down existing plastic and re-spinning it into new polyester fiber1. This process reduces the need for petroleum extraction, a primary component in traditional polyester production, leading to significant energy savings. Using recycled polyester over virgin polyester can result in a reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 50%2. Additionally, by repurposing plastic bottles and preventing them from ending up in landfills or the ocean, recycled polyester helps combat plastic pollution. This sustainable alternative not only conserves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also promotes a circular economy where materials are reused and repurposed, minimizing waste and environmental impact3.

 

 

 Move Dance HQ: 

In the Move Dance office, we encourage all of our lovely staff to work towards creating a more planet friendly environment. On site we have all forms of recycling available and we don’t use gas so we’re ready for a non fossil fuel energy supply. LED lights are used throughout and lights in our warehouse adjust to the light available so the lights are only ever used when needed (even when switched on all day) which saves us a substantial amount of energy. Here, we are also building a plan to work towards net zero. 

The team at Move Dance are dedicated to transitioning the business to a sustainable model, it’s part of our core objective.

 

In the future: we expect to have a carbon neutral head office & operational facility soon, and develop a Net Zero plan with the team. 

Who we work with:

We love being able to give you products from other leading dancewear brands on our website so you can browse a range of amazing dancewear! We want to work with these leading dance brands to bring you more sustainable choices so as soon as this becomes available to us we will bring it to our customers. For example, in 2022 we launched Ballet Rosa Sensil Range featuring leotards made from more sustainable fabric. Further to this, we can’t wait to bring new brands to you over the next few years with sustainable dancewear.

Check back here for updates as we continue our journey! 

The Move Dance Team x