Fair and ecological

The Fairtrade Cotton Standard stands for a fair cultivation of organic cotton. Together with Fairtrade Germany, MELAWEAR has been following the path of fair production right from the start and actively contributes to solving social problems in the textile industry: All our products and collections are 100 percent certified according to the Fairtrade Cotton Standard. Annual inspections by FLO CERT guarantee that the criteria of the standard are met. They include a fixed purchase price for organic cotton and the highest social and environmental standards during its cultivation. In addition, the farmers' cooperatives receive a Fairtrade premium, used for community projects such as schools or local infrastructure. The standard establishes long-term and direct trade relations with 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 supported and fairly paid. more

MELAWEAR is the first fashion label to become a licensee of the new Fairtrade Textile Standard. The new standard includes social aspects along the entire textile supply chain. This means fair wages and working conditions and a say for workers in the company decisions. The special feature of the standard: for the first time, not only minimum wages but also living wages are introduced. On-site training and education on topics such as environmental management, occupational health & safety and freedom of assembly and association with trade unions, enable the workers to understand the content of the textile standard and their rights. MELAWEAR partner and producer Purecotz Ecolifestyles in India is the first textile producer worldwide to be certified according to the extensive standard. Within six years Purecotz is committed to pay living wages to its employees. Only through the willingness of fashion companies like MELAWEAR, who produce at Purecotz and pay a higher, fair purchase price, can the additional wage costs be covered. more

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the world's leading environmental standard for the processing of textiles made from ecologically produced natural fibers. We want our textiles to cause no environmental harm. Therefore, the whole MELAWEAR portfolio is GOTS-certified. Our textiles are made of 100 percent Indian organic cotton. Through the GOTS, comprehensive and binding ecological criteria are defined along the entire supply chain and are monitored by independent certification authorities. The standard covers all stages of the supply chain, from the extraction of raw fibers to the environmentally friendly and socially responsible production and distribution of the end products, and offers the highest level of product safety. For example, the standard prohibits toxic ingredients and imposes limit values on all inputs that would otherwise harm people or the environment. We consistently abstain from plasticizers, formaldehyde, heavy metals or optical brighteners and thereby protect both the skin and the environment. All ingredients such as dyes, sewing threads, prints or buckles used for MELAWEAR products comply with the ecological requirements of GOTS. more

Since its initiation, all MELAWEAR products are certified with the new Grüner Knopf (Green Button). The Grüner Knopf is the first textile seal that is issued by the German Government state to check companies for social and ecological sustainability. We are convinced that there can only be a real change towards a sustainable textile industry together with political actors . Therefore the Grüner Knopf is now a state framework for this. The 46 requirements of the seal include social and environmental criteria that are checked at both product and company level. In addition to environmentally compatible production, there is a focus on social working conditions such as occupational health & safety, minimum wages and the prohibition of forced and child labor. To start with, packaging and wet processes such as dyeing are checked. Here, the Grüner Knopf includes, among other things, limit values for wastewater, bans on toxic chemicals and plasticizers, as well as a pollutant test on the natural fibers. Certification is carried out by independent testing centers in order to guarantee the highest level of transparency and safety for consumers. more