Our Green Approach
SAVE MY PLANET
We want to make the world a bit nicer, more handsome and better with fair eco wear that gets your motor running.
Okimono is aiming for premium quality, sustainable identity wear: good basics with awesome designs, which are produced as world friendly as possible and will last a long time. A brand where a reliable product is self-evident, with solid basics manufactured in a continuous production process.
Our aim for continuity translates into using sustainable materials, compact working methods and, not in the least, in long lasting collaborations with reliable agents and producers. This asks for a clear understanding and short pathways, with like-minded partners who are open and transparent, for maximum insight into the production methods of our clothes.
DUE DILIGENCE
By signing the IRBC Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) in 2016, we decisively said ‘yes’ to the continuous improvement of our production processes and being transparent about these. With that we committed ourselves to an annual auditing system, which leads organisations through a process of Due Diligence. This AGT-auditing system is based on the OECD Guidelines and Guiding principles of the UN for multinationals and human rights, and on ISO 26000
Every year we check the current state and adjust our plan of action, under the scrutiny from the agreement: what was the plan, which progress did we make and are we still on track? A lot has happened and there is still enough left to do. The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed certain activities, which we took back up in the course of 2021.
End of 2021 the current agreement will come to an end and we may say, with some pride, that we have successfully completed this course! Read this report on our most recent developments and future plans.
EMPOWERING
By producing mainly in (Western) Europe, we seek to minimize possible risks in the process, concerning both labour conditions and environmental issues, and to realize the shortest possible pathways and distances – moving the production of our organic cotton shirts and sweaters from India to Portugal in 2015 was an important step in this and as of 2020 all our eco-cotton clothes are manufactured by that same producer in Portugal.
This past year we have focused on developing our own control system, in which both Okimono and the producer keep informing one another periodically. After the summer we were able to sign this Two Way Code of Conduct and additional declaration with our chief suppliers. The code of conduct consists of guidelines for labour conditions (similar to the Fair Wear Foundation’s Code Of Labor Practices) and environment conscious production, supplemented by agreements made with each individual agent or producer, tailored to their specific production processes. Supplying us with information regarding all production locations, suppliers and certifications has now become part of the CoC system. Based on this information Okimono can, at all times, make further inquiries and choices – a practice that fits in best with the long-term, sustainable collaborations in which Okimono engages. For future collaborations we will be using this Okimono Two Way Code of Conduct from the start.
The next step in gaining more insight will be to visit the most important production locations ourselves. We aim to do so in 2022. Our main attention goes to Portugal, where the bulk of our clothing is manufactured.
IRBC AGREEMENT AGT
In 2016 various Dutch stakeholders took the initiative for the IRBC Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) - supported by the Dutch government, some 29 NGO’s and trade unions, and is powered by the Dutch Social and Economic Council, SER.
In the past years all signees have aspired actively to stem the abuses in the garment and textile industry. In total some 106 companies signed the AGT Agreement, of which some 80 still remain – amongst whom G-Star Raw, HEMA, WE Fashion and Zeeman. See here the complete list of stakeholders.
On December 31 2021 the current agreement will come to an end and the concerned parties are still working on a follow-up, the Next Generation Agreement NGA. Once it is clear what this new agreement will entail, Okimono will look into the possibility of signing up again. We are also checking out other initiatives, such as Amfori BSCI. In any case, Okimono will continue to strive for improvement of its production processes, using the knowledge and tools we’ve gained these past years.
CONNECTION AND TRANSPARENCY
The ever-growing support for the agreement enabled stronger collaboration between companies and organisations. And for the AGT itself it becamew easier to seek collaborations with international key players, such as the German Bündnis für Nachhaltige Textilien and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).
By forming an alliance with the Open Apparel Coalition in 2019, it was possible to publish the production locations of all affiliated companies in one list on the Open Apparel Registry, OAR, since June of that year. This is an international and public online database of textile producers, by and for companies and consumers. By sharing production locations with one another, companies can support each other and as such reinforce the chain. Also, Okimono ensured that our own specific production location list can be found on there and of course you can also check this on our own website: ... Made By.
That same year Okimono also signed the Transparency Pledge from Clean Clothes Campaign and with this again we emphasized our commitment to transparency about our production methods and locations. We publish our progress on the Okimono website and our production location list is updated periodically.