with regards to:
Labor Practices
Labor practices include any information available about the working conditions of those who produced the garment in question. We believe the way brands treat their employees is a reflection of their values; do they put people or profits first?
What we look at:
We compile as much available information about workers' access to fair/living wages, workers' safety conditions, workers' right to unionize, and whether they enforce ethical employment practices at their or their partners' production facilities (such as banning child or forced labor).
Materials Sourced
This is the first step in understanding the environmental impact of a garment. Although information about every material used in production may not be available, we compile as much information as possible and cross reference it with established certification schemes and rating organizations to determine a score based on how those raw materials are made into the final product.
What we look at:
Where the materials were sourced, if they were procured organically and at a fair price, how many natural resources were exhausted (amount of water and energy used) and how much pollution was created (carbon emissions and chemical use/disposal) in producing the item, as well as travel time from place of origin to production to distribution.
Chain of Production
Although it may pass through many hands to get from raw materials to finished garment, we try to gather as much information about every stop on that journey to ensure that its impact was considered every step of the way. That means we're looking for all the factories and supply chains used and and why; is the brand cutting corners by using this distributor, or are they going out of their way to ensure that company uses the same ethical business practices as the brand itself.
What we look at
The supply chain for every item is different, but brands tend to use similar practices across products. We gather as much information about the chain of production of the garment in question, but when data on individual items isn't available, we use data on the brands overall chain of production to approximate a score for the individual item.
