Suitable
What is socially responsible?
Social responsibility refers to producing clothing ethically and responsibly. In practice it means that at every step of the production process the impact on people and the environment is taken into account. The most important aspect is people: good working conditions and fair wages for the workers who make your clothes. In addition, environmentally friendly materials and production methods are used as much as possible to limit the burden on the environment.
What falls under socially responsible production?
Socially responsible brands work with manufacturers that are transparent about their production process and that strive to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they operate. That means there is no child labour, forced labour or exploitation of workers. They also use environmentally friendly materials in their products, such as organic cotton and recycled fabrics, and they use less water and energy.
How do you recognise it?
By labels, because these are checked by independent parties. Look out for Fairtrade Cotton, the Fair Wear Foundation and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). They look at different things: Fairtrade focuses on a fair price for the farmer, Fair Wear on working conditions in the factory and GOTS on the whole chain, from fibre to end product. A label on your garment therefore only says something once you know which label it is.