Certificates
Fairtrade Cotton Standard
The Fairtrade Cotton Standard stands for the fair production of organic cotton. Together with Fairtrade Germany, MELA has followed the path of fair production from the very beginning and is making an active contribution to solving social injustices in the textile industry : All of our products and collections are 100% certified according to the Fairtrade Cotton Standard.
Annual inspections by FLO CERT guarantee compliance with the criteria of the standard. These include a fixed purchase price for organic cotton and the highest social and environmental standards during cultivation. In addition, the farmers' cooperatives receive a Fairtrade premium, which is used for community projects such as schools or local infrastructure. The standard establishes long-term and direct trading relationships with Indian cotton farmers, improves their working conditions and strengthens their rights . In this way, even the weakest link in the textile supply chain, the small farmers, are fairly paid and supported.
Fairtrade textile standard
MELA is the first fashion label to be a licensee of the new Fairtrade textile standard. The new standard is the first to implement social standards along the entire textile supply chain. This means fair wages, improved working conditions and increased rights of participation for workers. What is special about the standard is that for the first time, not only minimum wages but also living wages are being introduced. In order to make the workers more familiar with the content of the textile standard and their rights, on-site training and courses are offered on topics such as environmental management, occupational safety and freedom of assembly and union membership. MELA partner and producer Purecots Ecolifestyles in India is the first textile manufacturer in the world to be certified according to the comprehensive standard. Within six years, Purecots is committed to paying its employees a living wage. Only through the willingness of fashion companies like MELA to produce there and pay a higher, fair purchase price can the wage costs be covered. We currently do not have any products with the MELA seal because we have not yet succeeded in having an entire supply chain certified.
GOTS
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the world's leading standard for the processing of textiles made from ecologically produced natural fibers . We want our textiles not to cause environmental problems. That's why the entire MELA range is GOTS-certified. Our textiles are made from 100% Indian organic cotton . With the GOTS, comprehensive ecological criteria are bindingly defined along the entire supply chain and monitored by independent certification bodies. From the extraction of the raw fibers to environmentally and socially compatible production to the distribution of the end products, the standard covers all stages and offers a high level of product safety. The standard prohibits toxic ingredients and sets limit values for others if they would otherwise harm people or the environment. We consistently avoid plasticizers, formaldehyde, heavy metals or optical brighteners, thus protecting skin and the environment. All ingredients such as dyes, sewing threads, prints or buckles that are used for our MELA products comply with the ecological standards of the GOTS. In addition, we test all materials produced for us in the laboratory for chemical residues.
The Green Button
The Green Button is the first state textile seal that tests and awards companies according to social and ecological sustainability criteria in textile production. We are convinced that a real change towards a sustainable textile industry can only be achieved through cooperation with political actors . That is why we have been actively involved in the introduction of the new seal from the beginning. There is now a government framework for this. The 46 requirements of the seal include social and ecological criteria that are checked at both product and company level. In addition to environmentally friendly production, the focus is on social working conditions such as occupational safety, minimum wages and the prohibition of forced and child labor . First, the areas of manufacturing and wet processes such as dyeing are checked. Here, the Green Button includes, among other things, limit values for wastewater, bans on toxic chemicals and plasticizers as well as a pollutant test of the natural fibers used. Certification is carried out by independent testing bodies to ensure the highest level of transparency and safety for consumers.
Downloads on the topic of sustainability
Discover our commitment to sustainability through the following resources available for download: