Children’s clothing line designed with earth in mind

PK Beans, a Vancouver-based children’s apparel brand, is looking to lessen waste in the clothing industry.

Founded in 2006 as Peekaboo Beans, the local lifestyle company has introduced an initiative called PK Replay that sees its pre-loved garments resold or repurposed in order to give them new life — and keep them out of a landfill.

We caught up with Traci Costa, the founder and chief executive of the company, to learn more.

Q For those who aren’t familiar, what is PK Beans?

A We design stylish kid’s clothing considering the developmental needs of a child, inspiring confidence, independence and comfort all day, every day. Our products are durable, versatile and created without harmful dyes or chemicals. Our clothing is designed with sustainability in mind, which means it’s longer lasting through more washes, play dates and growth spurts.

Q What can you share about the new PK Replay initiative?

A PK Replay is a new sustainable program, launched in April 2020, to help keep our products out of the landfills for as long as possible. There are two separate initiatives that are part of the PK Replay program.

The first initiative is our Vintage program, which provides our community the opportunity to sell and purchase pre-loved, gently used styles from the past that still have lots of life in them. We have styles that date as far back as 2007. The second initiative of Replay includes our repurposed items, where we have taken well-worn and damaged styles and have repurposed the fabric into brand new items such as scrunchies, wall hangings, hacky sacks and dog toys.

Q How do you plan to build this out in the future?

A We are incredibly excited about this program as there is so much potential for it to grow. Our Vintage and Replay products are currently available online, as well as in our Tsawwassen Mills retail store. Some Replay items were created by Vancouver-based Common Thread, and many I made myself, at home, while socially isolated. Especially now, it’s important to continue to create jobs locally for home sewers. We are also committed to give back to our community with every purchase of a PK Replay item.

Q What is the price range for PK Beans and PK Replay pieces?

A This past March we launched our rebranded logo. So, we are currently in the process of clearing out a lot of our inventory that features the previous logo, which means there are some really great deals currently on our website. Our PK Beans clothing is priced from $5-$60. Our PK Replay repurposed items are anywhere from $8-$32. Our PK Replay vintage pieces really vary since there are a lot of things that are taken into consideration — the condition, what year it is from, etc. — Currently, we have styles that are anywhere from $10-$40.

Q Lastly, where can people check them out?

A Online at pkbeans.com or @pkbeanskids on Facebook and Instagram. Aharris@postmedia.com