Waste into Wealth:

Raye Mocioiu Ungalli is on a mission to change the way people think about clothing. In today’s changing world, the pressure to buy new clothes, whether to be on-trend or for the thrill of owning something new, is underlined by a dark truth: the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, sisters Hailey and Bree are fiercely committed to creating a new style standard, raising awareness about the negative impacts of the mainstream clothing industry while producing a superior, sustainable alternative. Since its launch in 2013, Ungalli has made incredible strides to create a community of environmentally conscious consumers, received praise from all over the country, and recycled over one million bottles to make into clothing. The sisters champion local in more ways than one: all of Ungalli’s products are ethically made in Canada from recycled and organic materials, and the brand makes giving back a priority. In 2011, as the sisters became more aware of the major flaws within the clothing industry, they felt they had to do more to bring it to people’s attention. At the time, sustainable materials were not easy to find, nor was finding means of production. “We did eventually find a company in the USA who helped us bring our vision to life, but we always wanted to bring production to Canada,” Hailey recalls. “With the help of a very generous grant from Canadian Geographic Magazine, we were able to finally bring the entirety of our production home.” The sisters opened a retail store in their hometown of Thunder Bay and operated their business online. But the impact Ungalli has made goes past just t-shirts. By choosing Ungalli, shoppers are not just choosing to support a sustainable brand and ethically made clothing—they’re choosing to support local charities and programs that give back to the Thunder Bay community. From The Mashkawi-Manidoo Bimaadiziwin Spirit to Soar Fund, which connects vulnerable Indigenous youth with community programming, to Indigenous Canadian artists like Emma Forbes, who designed Ungalli’s Orange Shirt Day collection, Ungalli places immense power in supporting local. To celebrate Pride Month, Ungalli launched the Love is Love collection in collaboration with Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay. Proceeds from the collection supported the organization’s Community Micro-Grants, through which community members will have the opportunity to apply for low barrier grants for supplies (gender-affirming gear), projects (art, support groups), and basic needs (groceries, etc.). The funding supports the GSD (Gender and Sexual Diversity) community in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. Through this initiative, Ungalli donated $1400 to Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay. “Ungalli is deeply rooted in community and believes in supporting and giving back to the community that supports us. We are also big supporters of the Wake the Giant movement and music festival that supports Indigenous youth that come to Thunder Bay from remote First Nation communities to attend school,” says Bree. “It’s important for us to provide a platform for artists to showcase their talents, work, and message.” That belief is also the driving force behind the Ungalli Collective, a storefront featuring locally made wares and small businesses. The sisters share that the vendors they choose to feature in the collective are not only amazing at what they do, but they also represent a piece of the Thunder Bay community. “When people visit Thunder Bay and come to Ungalli Collective, we want them to feel the love, warmth, and sense of community our small city has to offer. Ungalli started as a small kiosk in a mall, so as a company, we want to provide an opportunity for other small businesses to grow and have their start.” Throughout the pandemic, Ungalli expanded their impact, starting the “Support the Makers” grant to offer a helping hand to struggling small businesses and creatives. “We wanted to make sure they felt some love from their community, and we wanted to make sure they knew they weren’t alone,” shares Bree. One lucky recipient received the $500 grant, and three others were selected to be featured in The Ungalli Collective as local vendors. Over the past two years, Ungalli has experienced a large increase in demand right across Canada for customized merchandise. The clothing company offers custom screen-printing on its sustainably and ethically made clothing products. The demand for their custom screen-printed tees, which they produce for businesses, charities, organizations, and more, has grown, and the brand is happy to accommodate it. As the sisters describe it, organizations order hundreds (or thousands!) of t-shirts at a time. By replacing traditionally manufactured t-shirts with sustainably and ethically produced shirts, the environmental impact is substantial. Ungalli is one of the only companies in Canada that offers this kind of service on sustainable clothing. This summer, Ungalli partnered with Superior Screen Printing to create an 8,000 square-foot warehouse, retail, and production space. “After a year of searching for the perfect space, Ungalli couldn’t be more excited about this new location. This is an amazing site, and we are inspired by the nostalgia of the old Port Arthur movie theater that we plan to keep alive as part of our design. We feel motivated to help grow and revitalize this downtown neighborhood with some new friends and continue to live up to our mission of sustainability,” says Hailey. From a small kiosk in a mall to a new retail store and warehouse space, Ungalli’s growth has made an impressive impact. To date, Ungalli is proud to have saved 5,076,312 days of drinking water, avoided 124,423 km of driving emissions, and recycled 1,169,242 PET bottles. As Ungalli continues to grow and expand its product line, the sisters want to share that the smallest changes can have a big impact when it comes to building a sustainable wardrobe! “It’s not about replacing your entire wardrobe with sustainable clothing and throwing everything else out. It’s about a shift in your mindset and buying only what you need.”