At KnowledgeCotton Apparel, we acknowledge the responsibility we have towards people. Not only the people in our direct vicinity, but also those working in our supply chain in various countries. We do not own our own production facility, but still take the responsibility for the people whose lives we are affecting very seriously.

Sustainability applies to everyone in the supply chain. This means that all supplier steps should be able to make a healthy business and the people working in the factories and at farm level should be paid a living wage and treated fairly. There are a lot of women working in the textile business and it is important that they receive the same treatment and salary as men. Several of our suppliers have educational programs for socially vulnerable women and other arrangements that make their lives better. We often find ourselves impressed by the dedication and eager “do better” attitude we encounter with our suppliers. Working with sustainable materials and fibers means that workers should not be exposed to any harmful chemicals, dyestuffs or processes on any level of the production chain.

Knowledge brand ambassador Manu.

Lou Bouvet, Friend of Knowledge.

It is difficult to ensure fairness with suppliers and even more with sub-suppliers. This is also the reason why we, in addition to our own visits, rely on third-party certification. Social compliance is a part of GOTS that each production step in the chain must comply with. This gives us the opportunity to ensure the CSR conditions throughout our supply chain and not only with our direct supplier. We believe it is about knowing the full supply chain and we monitor and follow each supplier and their compliance.

To ensure social responsibility, our suppliers are third-party certified by SA8000, BSCI and Fairtrade, which independently monitor the social labor situations in the factories and on the cotton fields.

Here at KnowledgeCotton Apparel, we have our own code of conduct according to the ILO standards, the Global Compact, the Declaration of Human Rights 1948, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and in compliance with the local laws, which are aligned with our third-party certifications.

Certified carbon neutral shipping
All shipping of goods from our suppliers to our company and from our company to our customers is certified carbon neutral. This includes packaging materials which all come from responsible sources and is fully recyclable.

Packaging & trimmings
Knowledge hangtags are made of recycled FSC® certified paper. Items are bagged in recycled Poly Bags made of upcycled plastic waste. Export boxes consists of 85% recycled FSC certified materials, care labels are made of recycled polyester. All packaging is certified and fully recyclable.

Low return rate is sustainable
We are proud that our rate of returned goods is just 1.3%. High-quality production and a low return rate is part of a sustainable mindset. It minimizes waste, transports, and results in happy consumers. We work hard to create a smooth consumer experience where good size guides, clear product information and eco-friendly choices provide a satisfactory purchase.

You can help reduce environmental impact by consuming responsibly and thus minimizing your returns. In order for us to take full environmental responsibility in our distribution, delivery times may vary due to optimized transports and we need to charge a fee for returns linked to certain conditions.

Thank you for consuming responsibly.

Photo: Pierre Bouras

Corporate Social Responsibility