If you haven’t been told already the fashion industry can be Damaging. Damaging for the Planet and Damaging for people.
We have decided to put sustainable thinking at the center of everything we do - that means we only choose fabrics that care for our environment and we only ever partner with factories that care about their impact. This is the Fresh Cuts way. When we say sustainability is our core mission we don’t mean that sustainability is nice to have - we mean that it’s the only way we act.
Our Suppliers
Suppliers
At Fresh Cuts we only partner with suppliers that we trust and that share the same views and standards as us. We have met and built a strong relationships with them that will allow us to grow and work together. We have the same common goals and respect that. Our partners are certified by world wide recognized standards. This means that the factories that work for us are audited on a regular basis and must conform to certain social and ethical standards in both their manufacturing process and labor standards. In most cases our partners go above the standards that's required of them. We work with Three suppliers all based India.
Our first supplier is used for our
bespoke hoodies, crew and t shirts made of organic cotton jersey. A small business with 100 workers (65% women and 35% men) they believe in order for
future generations to survive on this planet changes must be made. They are both GOT’s & Fair Trade certified. They are sourcing yarns from mills that are powered by Wind energy resulting in a carbon neutral fabric and are
implementing solar power for their sewing factory. They are reusing 90% of waste water using RO System and the other 10% waste which is sludge is being
used for manufacturing of building materials like cement blocks. On the labour side of the business they invest in social programs for the employees, such as financing medical insurance. They're paying living wages to their workers which
are higher than the minimum wages of Industrial benchmark described by Indian Labour.
This allow them to cover all their living expenses.
Our Second factory is a wholesale supplier who we source a variety of organic cotton jersey tees from. The factory is powered by renewable energy from solar panels and windmills, which makes the production even greener. They are a vertically integrated manufacturer meaning they have everything in house, from spinning mills to the finishing process. With 1600 staff (50% Male 50% Women) this is a much larger organization but still conforms to all our strict standards and is GOTs, SA8000, Fairtrade and Fear Wear certified. Labour conditions are reviewd under the Fair Wear certification and they are fully accredited.
Our third and newest factory is where we produce our woven products. It is where our new line of Fresh Shirts are being produced and we intend to grow this range over the next few years. The factory started in 2001 and is owned by pioneers in sustainable garment production. It is GOTs, Fairtrade & SA 800 certified. With independent audits and accredited bodies they support fair wages, no child labour, workers rights, gender equality and grower communities.
Certification
Certification
Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) is the world’s leading certification for organic textiles. Their main focus is to check the organic status of the cotton. For a garment to be GOTS-certified with a ''Label-grade 1'', it must contain 95-100% organic cotton, and should never be mixed with conventional cotton. GOTS is the most reliable certification and the only one that makes sure makes sure no toxic chemicals have been used at any steps of your garment’s production.
The Global Recycled Standard is the first standard that aims to set requirements for products made out of recycled materials. The GRS certification is a holistic standard that verifies that a product has the recycled content it claims to have. The Standard applies to products that contain 20% or more Recycled materials, but also apply to the supply chain of companies involved in the production of GRS products.
Fair Wear Foundation (Fair Wear) is an independent multi-stakeholder organisation that works with garment brands, garment workers and industry influencers to improve labour conditions in garment factories. Fair Wear's eight labour standards are:
• Employment is freely chosen
• There is no discrimination in employment
• No exploitation of child labour
• Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
• Payment of a living wage
• No excessive working hours
• Safe and healthy working conditions
• Legally binding employment relationship
Fabrics
Fabrics
Conventional cotton is grown with the help of chemicals and metals that harm the environment. The pesticides affect the soil and the water, damaging the natural resources in the process and disturbing the ecological balance. Regular cotton mainly causes soil loss and leaves the field unsuitable for growing other crops. The cotton industry now accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. So by choosing the greener alternatives you will make a positive impact. Fresh Cuts cotton is on the other hand 100% Organic, this means that it's completely free from toxic chemicals and pesticides. It uses up to 91% less water, 62% less energy, and emits 46% less Co2 compared to conventional cotton farming. In other words, it is farmed in touch with nature, as it should be.
Plastic never goes away. It just breaks down into smaller pieces and eventually ends up as microplastics that pollute the environment. But since we have all the plastic we need on this planet, it’s about time we reuse it in a smart way. By working with Recycled polyester we bypass the oil extraction required to make virgin polyester. And that's a game-changer. By doing this, the production uses 59% less energy and emits 32% less Co2. The production also saves significant amounts of water compared to virgin poly production. A circular world is a better world!