A school in the New South Wales Blue Mountains has found a new way to teach students about economics and sustainability, becoming the first to have fair trade uniforms.

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Since Hazelbrook Public School began selling the uniforms, the idea has gone viral, with interest from schools across the country who want to do the same thing.

Hazelbrook school captain Maddie Storniolo and vice-captain Matteo Lieu proudly wear their blue and gold polo shirts.

"50 per cent of them is plastic bottles, which is pretty cool, and they come from India, which is the other side of the world," said Maddie.

The Fairtrade certification is an acknowledgment that the uniforms meet strict international standards to protect workers and the environment.

"They're also made out of cotton, so that gives it the stretchiness," said Matteo.

Hazelbrook's journey began four years ago, when local mother Anna Dohnt visited India to ensure that every worker involved in making the shirts was treated fairly and paid a decent wage.

"For me as a mother, it's really important that I'm dressing my children in something that is actually uplifting people somewhere in the world and not causing misery to another child," she said.

"I want what they're wearing every day to actually be empowering other children somewhere and making sure that children in developing countries can go to school."

'It's more than just the school uniform'

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Ms Dohnt now runs fair trade supply business Change Threads, and since Fairtrade Australia announced its certification, the idea has taken off.

"We've been absolutely overwhelmed with interest from schools from different parts of Australia, so at the moment we're organising our structure to cope with all the enquiries."

The school's uniform shop co-ordinator Cheryl Griswold has been busy keeping up with demand.

"My daughter said, 'Mum this is big, we're helping other families'," she said.

"And that's what it's about, it's having those conversations with our kids about the stuff that we have and we take for granted in our lives."

School principal David Nosworthy said there was an educational benefit to the uniforms.

"The school uniforms for us also prompt the capacity to provide further discussion with our kids," he said.

"The capacity for our students to develop an understanding of where a product starts from and how that can impact on people right back at the source of the manufacture, right back to the source of the cotton, which is where this is.

"It's more than just the school uniform."

The school is now planning to stock its canteen with fair trade goods.

Maddie said she was proud her school was helping to make a difference.

"It's a really big thing to be part of it, it's really amazing."