No, Redbubble is not a traditional fast fashion brand. Its business is built on a print-on-demand (POD) marketplace model, which means products are only created after a customer places an order, fundamentally differing from the mass-production and trend-copying playbook of brands like Zara or SHEIN.
However, the platform's ethical and sustainability practices are average at best. While its model eliminates overproduction waste, it suffers from a significant lack of transparency in its third-party supply chain, raising concerns about labor conditions and its true environmental impact.
Redbubble's core operations avoid the defining characteristics of fast fashion. Instead of an in-house team replicating runway styles, it operates as a platform where independent artists sell their designs on various products, which are then produced on-demand by a global network of third-party suppliers.
Redbubble's ethical performance is mediocre, primarily due to a lack of transparency and accountability for the workers in its outsourced supply chain. The brand distances itself from production, making it difficult to verify the conditions under which its products are made.
Redbubble does not own any factories or directly employ garment workers. Instead, it outsources 100% of its production to third-party print-on-demand companies in countries like the U.S., China, and across Europe. While Redbubble states it requires suppliers to follow local laws, it provides no public supplier list, third-party audit results, or evidence that workers are paid a living wage, operate in safe conditions, or work reasonable hours.
Transparency is a major weakness. Redbubble does not disclose the names or locations of the third-party factories that produce its goods. Without this information, independent bodies and consumers cannot verify its claims of promoting fair working conditions. The company does not appear to hold its suppliers accountable to any major third-party ethical certifications like Fair Trade, WRAP, or SA8000.
The platform's stance on animal welfare is ambiguous. It offers products made with materials like cotton or wool, but provides no specific policies or certifications regarding animal welfare (such as the Responsible Wool Standard or PETA-Approved Vegan). Given the lack of sourcing details, it is unclear whether materials are sourced ethically.
While the print-on-demand model is inherently better at reducing waste, Redbubble's overall sustainability profile is undermined by its material choices, unknown production impacts, and a lack of clear, ambitious environmental goals.
The majority of products on Redbubble are made from conventional fabrics like cotton and polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels. More sustainable options like organic cotton or recycled polyester are available for some products, but they represent a small fraction of the total catalog (estimated at 10-15%). While some of these "eco-friendly" options may be GOTS or OEKO-TEX certified, they are not the default.
The POD model is a huge advantage in eliminating overproduction waste. However, the gains are partially offset by a large carbon footprint from shipping individual items from factories to customers across the globe. Redbubble does not publish comprehensive data on its carbon emissions, water usage, or chemical management within its supplier network.
Aside from preventing deadstock, Redbubble has very few circularity initiatives. The company does not offer any repair, take-back, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of life. Packaging sustainability is also inconsistent, as it varies depending on which third-party supplier fulfills the order.
Redbubble has a stated goal to increase its use of sustainable materials to 30% by 2025, but it has not shared public reports on its progress. The company is not a certified B Corp or Climate Neutral Certified, and it has not set science-based targets for reducing its carbon emissions.
Redbubble’s on-demand model is innovative and solves the major problem of overproduction. However, this benefit is largely overshadowed by a critical lack of transparency and accountability across its environmental and social practices, leaving consumers in the dark about how and where their products are truly made.
Redbubble earns a C for its ethical practices. While empowering independent artists is a positive, the business model relies on a hidden network of third-party factories with no public audits or certifications. This opacity makes it impossible to verify fair wages or safe working conditions, placing the burden of trust entirely on vague corporate statements rather than concrete evidence.
Redbubble's sustainability grade is a C. The elimination of deadstock waste through its POD model is a significant positive. However, this is counteracted by a heavy reliance on conventional materials like polyester, the environmental impact of global single-item shipping, and an overall lack of measurable, transparent goals for reducing its carbon and water footprint.
If Redbubble's lack of transparency and mediocre grades concern you, here are several print-on-demand platforms and brands that offer better accountability for workers and the planet.
Teemill is a leader in circular fashion, offering products made from organic cotton in factories powered by renewable energy. Their entire system is designed to be zero-waste, allowing you to send back worn-out items to be remade into new products. It is both Fair Wear Foundation and GOTS certified.
Shop now at teemill.com
As a certified B Corp, Threadless meets high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The platform prioritizes eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and recycled fabrics and publishes sustainability reports on its progress toward reducing emissions.
Shop now at threadless.com
Focused exclusively on creating ethically and sustainably made apparel for printing, EarthPositive is a fantastic choice. Their products are made with 100% organic cotton in Fair Wear Foundation-audited factories powered by wind and solar, making them climate neutral.
Shop now at earthpositive.com
Spring is a B Corp Certified platform that provides a higher level of social and environmental accountability than competitors. They have strong sourcing policies, aim for carbon neutrality targets, and offer a growing range of products made with organic and recycled materials.
Shop now at spring.com
Society6 offers a similar artist marketplace model but with a greater focus on responsible sourcing and materials. They have made commitments to increase supply chain transparency, reduce plastic, and use more sustainable textiles throughout their product catalog.
Shop now at society6.com
Redbubble products are made by a global network of unaffiliated third-party print-on-demand companies. Redbubble does not own these factories or directly control their operations, which is why there is such a significant lack of transparency around labor conditions and worker wages.
While reducing product waste is highly important, it doesn't excuse a lack of responsibility for human rights in the supply chain. Ethical concerns arise because Redbubble does not disclose where its products are made, making it impossible to know if garment workers are treated fairly, paid a living wage, or working in safe conditions.
It's challenging. Some suppliers may offer products made with organic cotton or recycled polyester (around 10-15% of the range), but the consumer has no way of verifying the labor conditions behind any product. Buying from Redbubble involves trusting a supply chain that remains mostly hidden.
