Is your work wear ethical, sustainable and environmentally friendly?
07 June 2021
The world was shocked in 2013 when the Rana Plaza (Dhaka garment factory) collapsed, killing over a thousand people and injuring more than twice that number.
As a consequence of that tragedy the business world now demands that they know, where and how their corporate uniform and workwear is sourced (fabrics and materials), manufactured, transported and stored. Ethical production is no longer a marketing buzz word, it is now a world-wide corporate commitment.As a result there are numerous questions you have to get answered by your manufacturers and suppliers, before raising a purchase order. These questions take into consideration both your suppliers and your own organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ethical and environmental policies.
Can you be sure that your suppliers and manufacturers have taken all health and safety precautions for their staff, their clothes are not made from hazardous materials and no one was exploited throughout the entire manufacturing process?
The business world has to establish that manufacturers have the following policies and procedures in place to ensure:
- Health & Safety compliance in the work place to ensure a safe working environment
- Procedures to minimise the impact on the local and global environment
- Commitments to the legal minimum age of employment
- Adherence to legal minimum wage, including any overtime pay, maximum hours of work, holiday entitlement and maternity leave
- Working conditions are hygienic
- No forced labour or imprisonment is used
- Employees are allowed freedom of association and collective bargaining
- Employees are not discriminated against
I am afraid that identifying whether workwear manufacturer’s/supplier’s practices, supply chain and products are sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly is not simple
Sadly not all, but a large number of manufacturers and suppliers adhere to several internationally recognised guidelines to ensure ethical and social impacts of their actions are accounted for. Further details into such initiatives are identified below.
Ethical Trading Initiative
www.ethicaltrade.org
Fair Labour Association
www.fairlabour.org
Fairtrade
www.fairtrade.org.uk
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
www.global-standard.org
Social Accountability International (SAI)
www.sa-intl.org
Textile Exchange
www.textileexchange.org
Organic 100
www.soilassociation.org
OEKO-TEX
www.oeko-tex.com
WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production)
www.wrapcompliance.org
Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange)
www.sedexglobal.com
Fair Wear Foundation
www.fairwear.org
BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative)
www.bsci-intl.org
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals)
www.hse.gov.uk/reach/
Are your suppliers actively attempting to lower their carbon footprint within their production and distribution process. Do they follow industry standards with regard to renewable energy, harmful emissions, waste disposal and water usage? If they can adhere to these standards then the buyer can be assured that their purchases have been manufactured in an environmentally and socially sustainable process.
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 23/02/2024 - Wear4Work Limited sponsors East Cheshire Hospice
- 07/09/2023 - Wear4Work Limited Supplies Bollington Town Council
- 06/10/2021 - Hospitality industry starts to revive.
- 07/06/2021 - Workwear for women is changing, its no longer one size fits all.
- 03/06/2021 - An appetite for hospitality workwear
- 03/06/2021 - Expect more from your workwear
- 11/11/2020 - Local Charity signs up new business supporter
