People and Places
Local Manufacturing
Worn Again’s aim is to transform the UK manufacturing sector into an innovative design-led high-tech on-shore green industry. We are developing mass production methods for upcycling to create green jobs, revive local economies and redirect waste from landfill.
After our beginnings producing footwear in China back on 2005, to bags in Portugal in Autumn ‘08, we’ve successfully launched our first RE:Made in the UK range, with the Bon Voyage! collection. We worked with two small scale manufacturers in London but have learned the hard way that UK manufacturing is all but dead.
So we’ve decided to build an upcycling production unit with a few of our friends right here in London. We are also working in collaboration with From Somewhere on development of the UK’s first large scale upcycling factory which is recognised as a project on Defra’s Sustainable Clothing Action Plan.
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. Worn Again also works to create a connection between producer and consumer and to improve social conditions for people making its products.
Worn Again expects 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, for instance in Portugal, 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.
Worn Again is working with two family run manufacturers in East London.
With these companies, our policy is to:
- ensure that they meet UK labour and environmental 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 Worn Again’s products.