Certificates
GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD
GOTS is internationally known as THE quality mark for organic textile products, such as cotton in clothing, but also in bed and bath products.
GOTS sets strict requirements for environmental aspects and social conditions during the entire production process: starting with the Chetna cotton project, the ginner, spinner, wet processing, CMT up to and including the product in the packaging.
Independent auditors carry out regular checks on site in India with our stakeholders on the environmental requirements, product processing at all levels and the social conditions of the people who make the products.
The entire production chain including Fair & Co bv has a GOTS certification.
FAIRTRADE
Products with the Max Havelaar Fairtradequality mark guarantee that they have been purchased at a fair price under fair trading conditions.
Agreements on price and purchase guarantees with small-scale farmers in developing countries (in our case in India) enable them to live from their work but also to invest further in a sustainable future.
Every year, part of the Fairtrade contribution that we pay for cotton in India is spent on local water supplies, training and information, but also childcare and education.
The entire production chain is both Fairtrade and GOTS certified in our way.
The combination of these certificates, among others, guarantees 100% fair and guaranteed production, where, in addition to the product, people are also central.
100% CERTIFIED COTTON, CHETNA ORGANICS
Our organic production is made exclusively from certified cotton from the Chetna Organic and Agriculture project. ( see also their interesting site www.chetnaorganic.org.in) Chetna was founded in 2008 from an initiative by SOLIDARIDAD, with Dutch champions Fair & Co BV and The Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills as the first and largest buyer of Chetna organic cotton. Our stakeholder The Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills has now become a financial partner of this Chetna project. Chetna Agriculture project is a cooperative of more than 16,000 farmers who also take care of their own bio seeding. This organic cotton is also Fairtrade certified, meaning farmers receive a minimum price for their cotton and the guarantee that their entire harvest will also be purchased. For the cultivation of subsequent harvests, they have an Eco laboratory/garden where they assess the newly created cotton by mixing seeds from the different harvests.
This has meant that Chetna Bio cotton is one of the highest quality organic cottons available in all global markets.
And this development will undeniably continue and we will develop better organic cotton for future generations. Ergo, a unique self-supporting organic cotton supply.
Our Chetna organic cotton is a long-staple cotton with a high degree of whiteness from the raw cotton, a top quality.
After CMT, our production still receives a bio washing, a mixture of GOTS softeners & enzymes to give the article a top soft handfeel.
BCSI
BSCI is an initiative of companies committed to improving working conditions in their global supply chains.
BSCI offers companies a code of conduct to support their efforts to establish an ethical supply chain.
This code of conduct is based on international treaties that protect the rights of employees.
This involves the following key concepts: a socially responsible policy, freedom of association, working hours and overtime, non-discrimination, combating child labor and forced labor, special protection of young employees, payment of a minimum wage, facilities for a safe and healthy workplace, environmental protection and no precarious employment
As Fair&Co Office we are also BSCI certified.
SA-8000
Social Accountability 8000, website : https://sa-intl.org/
SA8000 is ‘s werelds meest toonaangevende internationale norm voor maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen
This is a verifiable certification, based on international standards for the working environment as laid down in the conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
This characterizes companies that value the rights and well-being of employees. A company that has received the SA8000 certificate guarantees a safe working environment and good employment conditions appropriate to local conditions to the outside world and to its own employees.
For Approvato & Fair & Co, the SA8000 certificate from The Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills (RCM) is very important because it allows us to demonstrate that we offer safe and good working conditions in our factory in India.
A safe workplace and good conditions for employees increase work morale and improved communication between the manager and the employee.
The SA8000 certificate indicates that the company supports the abolition of child labor. Fair & Co wants to ensure the development of all employees and help them maintain a good standard of living. The SA8000 certification of the RCM factories in India establishes the good and safe working conditions in the factories for business partners and customers.
Annual SA8000-audits RCM’s production location in India is audited annually by external partners. One of the checks is an announced visit and during the other annual check the audit team arrives unexpectedly. The checks are carried out very thoroughly and usually last 2-3 full days. Each audit involves reviewing a wide range of documents and contracts and carrying out thorough on-site inspections, employee interviews and checks with trade unions and local authorities.
DETOX
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/act/detox/
A certification from Greenpeace regarding the safe, environmentally responsible dyeing and bleaching of fabrics.
Reuse of water and energy and degradable color and dyes are central to this.
Toxic chemical pollution is a life-threatening issue for a very large population group in East Asia. Hundreds of millions of people lack access to clean drinking water.
The factories, despite contributing to wealth, also cause serious pollution to India’s precious water resources.
The extensive dumping and discharge of toxic chemicals from industrial wastewater has poisoned entire rivers, groundwater, nature, and the people who depend on it
It should be a challenge to contain and preferably eliminate all releases of hazardous and harmful chemicals as much as possible. Which would mean a big step forward for people and the environment.