By Stanley/Stella's own per-garment figures, a custom t-shirt blank carries about 1.5 to 3.6 kg CO2 eq from cradle to factory gate, depending on its weight and color. A heavyweight hoodie carries about 6 to 8 kg. Garment type, weight and color are the choices that move the number.
We are an official Stanley/Stella dealer in Santa Fe Springs, serving Los Angeles and Orange County. Every figure below is from the Stanley/Stella product API. For certifications, read how sustainable is a custom t-shirt; this article compares garment types and choices.
How much CO2 is in a t-shirt compared with a sweatshirt or hoodie?
A Stanley/Stella tee in a dyed color is listed at 1.89 to 3.31 kg CO2 eq cradle to gate, and the fleece styles at 5.06 to 8.13 kg. A 10.3 oz Cruiser 2.0 hoodie carries about 3.6 times the carbon of a Creator 2.0 tee. Lighter tees sit below the Creator 2.0, heavier tees above it.
| Style | Type | Weight | Carbon, gate (kg CO2 eq) | Carbon, grave | Water, gate (cubic meters) | Carbon vs Creator 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crafter | Tee | 4.6 oz | 1.89 | 3.47 | 0.86 | 0.83x |
| Rocker | Tee | 4.4 oz | 1.95 | 3.57 | 0.93 | 0.86x |
| Creator 2.0 | Tee | 5.3 oz | 2.28 | 4.08 | 1.09 | 1.00x |
| Creator 2.0 Long Sleeve | Long sleeve tee | 5.3 oz | 2.87 | 4.96 | 1.38 | 1.26x |
| Sparker 2.0 | Heavyweight tee | 6.3 oz | 2.99 | 5.02 | 1.44 | 1.31x |
| Freestyler | Heavyweight tee | 7 oz | 3.31 | 5.75 | 1.64 | 1.45x |
| Roller | Crewneck | 8.3 oz | 5.06 | 6.93 | 3.14 | 2.22x |
| Changer 2.0 | Crewneck | 10.3 oz | 6.48 | 9.04 | 4.23 | 2.84x |
| Drummer 2.0 | Hoodie | 8.3 oz | 6.7 | 9.21 | 4.23 | 2.94x |
| Cruiser 2.0 | Hoodie | 10.3 oz | 8.13 | 11.4 | 5.38 | 3.57x |
Figures are per garment in dyed colors (the white colors carry the same figures), from the Stanley/Stella product API. Weights are ounces per square yard. The last column is our arithmetic.
Three patterns stand out:
- Fabric weight is the main driver, not the only one. The 4.4 oz Rocker is listed slightly above the 4.6 oz Crafter, so compare the published figure rather than the weight alone.
- A hood adds about 1.6 kg. The Cruiser 2.0 and Changer 2.0 share the same 10.3 oz fleece and the same size chart, and the hoodie is 1.65 kg higher, about 25%. The 8.3 oz Drummer 2.0 hoodie is 1.64 kg above the 8.3 oz Roller crewneck.
- Long sleeves add about a quarter. The Creator 2.0 Long Sleeve is 0.59 kg above the short sleeve Creator 2.0, about 26% more.
How much water is used to make a t-shirt?
Stanley/Stella lists 0.86 to 1.64 cubic meters of water per dyed tee from cradle to gate, about 227 to 433 gallons. A dyed Creator 2.0 is 1.09 cubic meters, about 288 gallons. A dyed Cruiser 2.0 hoodie is 5.38 cubic meters, about 1,421 gallons, roughly five times the Creator 2.0.
Natural Raw cuts those totals sharply, to about 174 gallons for a Creator 2.0 and about 676 gallons for a Cruiser 2.0 (one cubic meter is about 264 gallons).
Do Natural Raw, dyed and heather colors have different footprints?
Yes, and the color choice changes water far more than carbon. Natural Raw, the undyed color, has the lowest figures in every style below. Heathers behave differently by garment: on the tees they sit at or just above the dyed colors, while on the fleece they sit below them.
| Style | Natural Raw vs dyed, carbon | Natural Raw vs dyed, water | Heathers vs dyed, carbon | Heathers vs dyed, water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crafter | 19% lower | 40% lower | 1% higher | 8% higher |
| Creator 2.0 | 20% lower | 39% lower | 1% higher | 7% higher |
| Sparker 2.0 | 19% lower | 34% lower | About the same (Eco Heather) | 10% higher |
| Freestyler | 22% lower | 39% lower | 10% higher | 13% higher |
| Roller | 22% lower | 52% lower | 7% lower | 24% lower |
| Changer 2.0 | 23% lower | 52% lower | 8% lower | 25% lower |
| Drummer 2.0 | 22% lower | 52% lower | 9% lower | 25% lower |
| Cruiser 2.0 | 24% lower | 52% lower | 9% lower | 26% lower |
Percentages are our arithmetic on cradle-to-gate figures from the Stanley/Stella product API. The Rocker is not offered in Natural Raw.
On fleece, Natural Raw roughly halves the water. On a Cruiser 2.0 it is 2.56 cubic meters against 5.38 for the dyed colors.
What is the difference between cradle to gate and cradle to grave?
Cradle to gate is the blank garment: raw material sourcing, every production step and transport up to the garment factory gate. Cradle to grave, by Stanley/Stella's definition, adds downstream transport, decoration, use by the wearer and disposal or recycling. Stanley/Stella describes the figures as estimates based on Life Cycle Assessment methodology.
For a custom printed t-shirt, the cradle-to-grave figure is the closest published number, because it includes a decoration step. That step is modelled by Stanley/Stella. It is not a measurement of our screen printing, DTG, DTF or embroidery (compared here), and we do not publish a separate figure for the print.
In the first table, grave adds 1.58 kg (Crafter) to 3.27 kg (Cruiser 2.0) on top of gate.
How can a buyer lower the footprint of a custom order?
Pick the lightest garment that does the job, choose Natural Raw where the design allows, choose a crewneck over a hoodie when a hood is not needed, and order your real size count. Each of those cuts the per-order total in Stanley/Stella's figures.
- Go lighter. A Crafter is 17% below a Creator 2.0 and 43% below a Freestyler, cradle to gate.
- Go undyed. Natural Raw is 19 to 24% lower in carbon across these styles, and 34 to 52% lower in water.
- Skip the hood if you will not use it. A Changer 2.0 crewneck is 1.65 kg below a Cruiser 2.0 hoodie in the same fleece.
- Order the right quantity. 100 dyed Creator 2.0 tees are 228 kg CO2 eq cradle to gate, and every unworn extra adds 2.28 kg. Our Stanley/Stella impact calculator multiplies the published figures by your quantity.
- Make it last. Stanley/Stella's care data for these styles: wash cold at 86°F, no bleach, tumble dry low.
Our take
Stanley/Stella publishes per-garment carbon and water for most of its range, so you can compare tees, crewnecks and hoodies on the same basis before you order. For a lower-impact merch drop, the combination that moves the number most is a lighter tee in Natural Raw, ordered to a real size list. Browse every style on our Stanley/Stella hub, or read how the brand approaches materials on its sustainability page.
Ordering from Los Angeles or Orange County
- Where we are. 14130 Rosecrans Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, serving Los Angeles and Orange County.
- Minimums. DTG none, DTF 12, embroidery 24, screen printing 36 pieces per design.
- Timing. About 2-3 weeks after art approval. Rush available depending on the schedule. Tell us your date.
- Contact. Mon-Fri 8am-4pm PT, (562) 407-3800, sales@frenchpresscustom.com.
Quote a Natural Raw Creator 2.0.
Frequently asked questions
How much CO2 is in a t-shirt?
Stanley/Stella lists its tees at 1.89 to 3.31 kg CO2 eq per garment cradle to gate in dyed colors. The Creator 2.0 is 2.28 kg, or 4.08 kg cradle to grave, which adds transport, decoration, use and end of life.
How much water does it take to make a t-shirt?
For Stanley/Stella tees, 0.86 to 1.64 cubic meters cradle to gate in dyed colors, about 227 to 433 gallons. The Creator 2.0 is about 288 gallons dyed and 174 gallons in Natural Raw.
Does printing add to a t-shirt's carbon footprint?
Stanley/Stella's cradle-to-grave figure includes a decoration step as they modelled it. We do not publish a separate figure for our printing, so the gate and grave numbers are the published reference points.
Is a hoodie's footprint bigger than a t-shirt's?
Yes. A dyed Cruiser 2.0 hoodie is 8.13 kg CO2 eq cradle to gate, about 3.6 times a Creator 2.0 tee. The Drummer 2.0, a lighter 8.3 oz hoodie, is 6.7 kg.
Are heather colors lower impact?
On Stanley/Stella fleece, yes: heathers are about 7 to 9% lower in carbon than dyed colors. On the tees, heathers are at or slightly above the dyed colors. Natural Raw is lowest in both.
Who prints Stanley/Stella shirts in Los Angeles and Orange County?
French Press Custom in Santa Fe Springs is an official Stanley/Stella dealer. We print the full range for customers across Los Angeles and Orange County, with standard turnaround of about 2-3 weeks after art approval.
