New Sustainability Report Out !

Sustainability 

Months in the making, we are extremely excited to share our brand-new Sustainability Report. Read below to find out how we’ve progressed on our path to sustainability and how we’ve gone about transforming our words into concrete actions.

This year has been an important one for us. Ranked by the Textile Exchange as one of the world’s leading sustainable brands and attributed ‘Leader’ status by the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), we are proud of our achievements and feel a real responsibility to share our story. While we know there is no magic formula for achieving sustainability, we hope to continue innovating as well as inspiring others so that a greener, more ethical fashion industry becomes a reality. 

‘We really enjoy coming up with new ways of working which have a positive impact on people and the Planet,’ says Jean Chabert CEO of Stanley/Stella. ‘From subsidizing fair-priced grocery shops in our partner factories, to recycling fabric waste and co-funding electrical bikes for our HQ staff, we’re constantly developing new ideas to make a difference.’

Sustainable sourcing

From day one we have championed 100% organic cotton. We buy only organic cotton, and  work with renewable resources and recycled materials to ensure that our environmental footprint is as gentle as it can be.

Organic cotton, as opposed to conventional cotton, is grown without the use of chemical insecticides, fertilizers or pesticides. This means that no hazardous or toxic substances are incorporated into the soil or adjoining rivers or lakes, which ensures a safe environment for farmers and their families. Furthermore, organic cotton requires significantly less water than conventional cotton, produces less acidification of land and water and has much less potential for soil erosion.
Because we’re serious about our impact, we have decided to go even further and start a cotton traceability project starting in February. We’re aiming for end-to-end visibility on our full supply chain. We know that by connecting everyone in the chain, we’ll be better able to support our farmers and their livelihoods.

Certifying our supply chain from beginning to end

We are monitored, regulated and approved by some of the world’s leading bodies and adhere to the highest standards.

Each certification demonstrates that we are working towards building healthy environmental practices and greater respect for the planet, every step of the way.
Certified by GOTS, GRS, Oeko-Tex, OCS and PETA, we also encourage our Dealers to implement GOTS Certified printing techniques which use non-harmful inks and sustainable production methods. So that we can affirm that our finalized, decorated garments are 100% fully sustainable.

Responsible production

We always move forwards with our workers livelihoods in mind. 

That’s why we work very closely with a limited number of partner factories in Bangladesh, visiting them on an almost daily basis through our Bangladesh Liaison Office (BLO.) We are also active members of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) which works on improving labour conditions in garment factories. Going the extra mile, we have also put a number of mechanisms in place, such as an internal Code of Conduct and a CSR Monthly Report to ensure the best working conditions. Find out more in our report.

Initiatives Inside our Factories 

We are totally transparent about which partner factories we work with in Bangladesh and have selected those that offer bonuses and benefits to workers that go beyond the legal minimum.

To improve worker livelihoods, Stanley/Stella is currently supporting factories to open grocery shops inside their walls. We provide the financing so that the shops can sell  goods such as rice, oil and lentils at subsidized prices.
Further details on what our partner factories have been doing in the last 12 months to improve worker conditions and training can be found in our report. Notable achievements include workplace education programs, the creation of scholarship programs for children of workers and trainings on maternal health.
Stay tuned for more information on our fair-priced shops which will be out next month.

Our environmental project

At Stanley/Stella we are working hard at improving our carbon footprint. 

When it comes to water consumption, we only work with factories with Effluent Treatment Plants which remove all toxic elements from waste water. Furthermore, the partners we work with for transport and warehousing are leaders in their field, with our warehouse in Antwerp, managed by KTN, being almost fully sustainable.
Taking things further, we have developed a recycling fabric waste project.  By collecting  manufacturing offcuts from our partner factories, we can create recycled yarn to be used for the production of our accessories range.
 Be sure to find out more from our website in December.

We have lots more initiatives in the pipeline that we look forward to sharing with you.

For now, we’d like to invite you to read our Sustainability Report and to join us on our journey. Because we really are all stronger together.