GLOSSARY
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Labour practices
Dykkeren products manufacturing is done in respect to conditions of employment. It is a Fair trade founding principle. For other products, the approach is volunteer: manufacturing is made in India or Turkey following the Code of Labour Practices of the Fair Wear Foundation. Fair Wear Foundation is an independent non-profit-making foundation which supports and promotes good labour conditions in textile industry. It provides regular inspection and garment-making enterprise coaching to the Code of Labour Practices which is based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) agreements and on the Declaration of Human Rights:
- No forced labour
- No discrimination of workers
- No child labour
- Association freedom and the right to collective bargaining
- Payment of a minimum wage for living
- No excessive overtime
- Safe and healthy conditions of employment
- Legal labour contract
(extracts from Fair Wear Foundation website).
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides and GMO free. Dykkeren organic cotton products are certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), licensed by Control Union World Group (EKO sustainable Textile seal) and Soil Association (UK). Fairtrade organic cotton products are from Brazil and are certified by IBD label (Institut biodynamique brésilien, a brazilian institute). The cotton used for Respect-code products is certified organic cotton which specifications also offer crop rotation, use of compost...
Conventional Cotton (or traditional)
Conventional (or traditional) cotton is the most commonly found. As any typical cultivation, it uses fertilizers and pesticides (25% of pesticides are used for cotton cultivation which only represents 3% of cultivated areas around the world).
Organic in-conversion cotton
Three years average transition period from conventional farming to certified organic farming. During this period, the farmer follows the strict guidelines and standards imposed on certified organic (chemicals, pesticides and GMO free) but does not profit from the economical benefits of certification. This transition weakens farmers production (low yield...). Fair trade allows supporting them during this period.
EarthPositive®
EarthPositive® products sign up for a total ecological and ethical entity approach: organic cotton (from India and Turkey), certified by Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, “climate neutral” (manufacturing is being looked up in its total entity so that gas generation leading to carbon dioxide greenhouse effect is neutralized: renewable energy, measures for minimum ecological impact from cotton cultivation, up to finished products transportation), manufacturing (India and Turkey) with Labour conditions respect.
Fair trade
Paying the fair price, building a long-term and transparent commercial relationship, garanteeing labour conditions respect. Cetification is not systematic because expensive for small producers. Some Respect-Code textile products, however, are certified by one of the most famous labels, Max Havelaar.
Imprim'Vert®
Imprim'Vert® is a label of approval attributed to eco-friendly silk-screen printers. Certification follows some,simple criteria: manage hazardous waste properly, make hazardous liquids storage secure, not use harmful substances and environmental awareness with customers. Monitoring of energy consumption is also encouraged..
(extracts from Imprim'Vert® website)
Oeko-Tex®
Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 guarantee is a standard that concerns textile components effects on the human health. This certification guarantees the innocuousness of used materials. It is delivered for 1 year by a designated institute which proceeds to laboratory tests so that can be detected harmful substances which are prohibited or regulated by law as well as ones that are known as being harmful to health but not already being regulated.
(extracts from Oeko-Tex® website)
Respect-code.org
Respect-code is a unique concept of traceability and transparency to know the conditions of production of each item concerned. All the information from the cotton to the production through the spinning, knitting and dyeing can be found with the code written on the label (www.respect-code.org).