From sweatshops to ‘fashion miles’, the issues around what goes into the clothes we wear are a many. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, from the chemicals that go into cotton and textile production to bad labour standards – it’s not a pretty picture.
Worn Again takes a transparent approach to the real ingredients that go into our products, including the materials, labour standards and energy use, while addressing the impacts of our activities on trade and climate change.
Our aim is to create good quality, functional and design-led products that don’t have a guilty conscience. Over the past 4 years, Worn Again has been working step-by-step to show that it can be done – and that people want it to be done. (And the fact that you’re reading this page means it might just be possible.)
We break our activities into three categories:
• Environment
• People and Places
• Pricing
ENVIRONMENT (See how we’re doing)
In order to produce products with the least environmental impact, Worn Again uses recycled materials, sources regionally and works to reduce waste and carbon emissions.
Recycling/Reusing
Using materials for second life purposes reduces the need for landfills and saves on virgin resources.
Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing, Transport and Sourcing
From production to packaging, Worn Again works with factories to improve environmental standards and practices. We seek to work with factories that comply with international certification ISO 14000 for environmental standards.
Worn Again aims to manufacture and source materials closest to the place of production to cut down on ‘fashion miles’ traveled by our ingredients, thereby reducing carbon emissions created through global logistics.
PEOPLE AND PLACES (See how we’re doing)
Local Manufacturing
Since our beginning, we’ve been dedicated to finding more diverse production models, supporting local economies – and minimising the miles traveled by our products and what goes into them before they reach you.
We have set out the ambitious vision of reinvigorating manufacturing in the UK, particularly in kick starting a new industry around upcycling, with (re)manufacturing at the heart of it.
Labour standards
Worn Again believes that those who make our products should benefit rather than be exploited by their involvement with Worn Again. Factories should provide good working conditions. We also aim to create a connection between producers and consumers and to improve social conditions for the people making our products.
We expect factories to meet local and international labour legislation – based on the International Labour Organisation Conventions as encapsulated in the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code and/or the SA8000 Standard, ISO 9000 for manufacturing and ISO 14000 for environmental practices.
In the case of small factories, some may not have the scale of production to justify the costs associated with applying for international standards. With these factories, our policy is to:
• ensure that they meet regional labour and environmental standards and are working towards international standards
• have a close working relationship with the manager(s) to communicate the values of Worn Again
• get to know some of the staff to understand what improvements they’d like to see in their working conditions and to communicate the purpose behind the Worn Again project.
PRICING (See how we’re doing)
Our aim is to make good quality products that don’t cost the world or exploit people – those making the products and those buying them.
Also, a percentage of every sale goes to support the work of Anti-Apathy.