Finding your way in the maze of sustainable fahion is not always easy, certainly not if you're new to the scene. For starters, fashionably sustainable brands are often not out in the open in the highstreets where where you used to shop and to make matters even more complicated, certain brands like to use sustainability as a marketing trick, rather than being truly comitted to the cause. Of course, thouroughly researching a brand's website can already help you see things more clearly (if they leave it at vague intentions and provide little actual data, I'd be cautious). But deciding who is really making an effort to produce fair and reduce their footprint on our eco-system and who is just "greenwashing" becomes even easier, once you get in the know of some important fair trade and eco certificates.
Fair Wear Foundation
Acne, Filippa K, CKS and Belgian budget brand JBC are some of the notable members of the Fair Wear Foundation. You might have already seen the logo of this organisation stickered on the windows of these shops, but what does it mean to be a member of the FWF?
It means that as a brand, you are dedicated to implementing 8 basic labour standards in the garment factories you are working with. These standards are: No slavery, no child labour, no discrimination, paying living wages, respecting the right for workers to form trade unions, no work weeks of over 48 hours, safe and healthy working conditions and a legally binding labour agreement that gives the workers the security of a steady job. All these standards must be displayed in the factories involved, together with a help line for workers to call when the standards are violated.
In case of complaints FWF memebers must negotiate with the factory owners so as improve circumstances for the workers. They publically report every year on how far along they are in this process. The FWF, as and independent NGO, checks their actions and efforts to make progress.
So, when a brand is a FWF member, it doesn't necessarily mean that all of their products are fairly made from thread to end product, but it does say that they are making efforts to getting there.
Fairtrade
You've probably all seen the Fairtrade logo on chocolate, coffee or bananas sometimes, but Fairtrade International is also very active in the cotton production. Fairtrade is a non-profit organisation that helps to build equal partnerships between producers and traders, making sure everybody in the production chain gets their fair share of the profit. To make sure of this they have set up a list of Fairtrade standards. All products produced in a way that lives up to those standards, get a Fairtrade label.
For Fairtrade cotton farmers, this means for instance that they are insured of a minimum price for their crops, which ought to cover the cost of sustainable production and provides farmers with a safety net against sudden drops in market prices. They can also request pre-financing from their buyers, which makes it a lot easier to keep their farm running while they are waiting for the harvest of their cotton. Fairtrade cotton farmers ban dangerous chemicals and modified cotton seeds from their production. A large percentage of Fairtrade cotton is also organic certified.
GOTS
GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard. This certificate gives us consumers a certainty that that T-shirt hanging in a shop with a label attached saying "organic cotton", is actually really made from organic cotton (or at least 95% of it). A GOTS certificate ensures not only that the raw materials were grown or made organically, but also that the garment was manufactured in an environmentally and socially responible way.
This means for instance that chlorine bleaching of fabrics is prohibited, there can be no use of toxic heavy metals, formaldehyde or geneticaly modified organisms in the production process, no nickel, PVC or chrome are allowed in accessories in the clothing (such as zippers) and all manufacturers must have an environmental policy including procedures to minimise waste and discharges.
Their social standards include the prohibition of slavery and excessive working hours and the guarantee of living wages and regular employment.
Now, just to be clear, I'm not saying that brands who are entitled to use these certifications are all flawless nor that brands whose products are not certified are certainly not making any efforts towards a more sustainable production process. Getting certified or becoming member of a foundation often costs money and some brands may be too small or not resourcefull enough yet to pay for it. All I'm saying is that they can be a good tool for you, to help you make a conscious and well informed decision on wether to buy, or not to buy.Did I miss some very important certificates, foundations or organisations? Please let me know in the comments! I'll research them as soon as I can and update this post with the right info.
