Key Benefits

• Easy identification and prioritisation of key risk areas
• Alignment with internationally recognised and common principles
• Continuous updates of our system so it remains fit for the future
• Efficient monitoring and reporting thanks to a visual dashboard

We are able to monitor 12 Social Performances which allow us to conduct high-quality social audits and monitoring of the factories in our supply chain. This helps Chadwick Teamwear to identify, prevent, mitigate, account for and remediate labour risks as well as adverse human rights impacts in our valued chain.

The 12 Social Performance amfori BSCI allows us to measure;

• Social management and Cascade effect
• Workers Involvement and Protection
• The Rights of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
• No Discrimination, Violence or Harassment
• Fair Remuneration
• Decent Working Hours
• Occupational Health and Safety
• No Child Labour
• Special Protection for Young Workers
• No Bonded, Forced Labour or Human Trafficking
• Protection of the Environment
• Ethical Business Behaviour

About amfori

amfori believe in a world where all trade delivers social, environmental and economic benefits for everyone. They call this Trade with Purpose.

As the leading business association for open and sustainable trade, amfori bring together over 2,000 retailers, importers, brands and national associations from over 40 countries. Their membership reflects organisations of all sizes from a diverse range of sectors, representing a combined turnover of more than one trillion euros.

Headquartered in Brussels since 1977, they have a strong network of representatives based across 14 countries. They offer their members a practical framework and world-class tools to manage the social and environmental performance of their supply chains and anticipate trends. They also advocate for progressive policy and collaboration with high-level stakeholders to achieve social, environmental and economic progress.

Their work enables organisations to enhance human prosperity, use natural resources responsibly and drive open trade globally. These are major challenges across the world which require a collaborative effort to tackle. So, while their members can’t solve them on their own, together we can influence and drive positive change at scale.

Ultimately, amfori’s ambition is to leverage their unique position – their insight, influence and expertise – to drive open and sustainable trade, which contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The post amfori first appeared on Chadwick Teamwear.

The post amfori appeared first on Chadwick Teamwear.

Why do we travel to China?

The team headed back west from Shanghai, inland by high-speed train for the first of more than a dozen meetings during the 12-day trip. This followed by a short plane ride back to the coast in the industrial southeast of China where the weather is generally warm or simply just hot year-round interspersed with the annual monsoon season. The number one priority of the 2023 trip was putting the final touches and signing off our eagerly awaited new range ‘Kinetic’. Kinetic has taken more than 2 ½ years to develop, which is twice as long as other ranges historically. Kinetic is collectively the most premium and technical range we have developed to date, the combination of new performance fabrics, prints and specialised trims utilised in this range has really taken Kinetic to a new level.

This trip has highlighted you really can’t replace being in front of suppliers, building knowledge and ensuring you have your finger on the pulse. The partnerships we have built with our trusted suppliers prior to the covid period has been invaluable – for Chadwick’s as a business the importance of always working directly with specialised factories is vital to our success.

Quality assured 

At Chadwick, we pride ourselves on the quality and consistency of our products. Our proven quality procedures is integral to delivering garments with the correct fit and function according to their intended use to give our customers confidence when offering Chadwick Teamwear over more famous name brands.

Quality is rigorously controlled at every stage of manufacturing with the help of our own full time ‘Chadwick’ QCs (not third parties) employees based in our China office. 1 or more of our 8 strong team will visit the factories on an almost weekly basis reporting back to the UK regularly. This enables us to make informed decisions quickly or solve an issue much faster than just waiting for samples to arrive at our UK office to make a decision. Travelling to China and spending time with our staff allows us to offer them invaluable training, product updates, problem solving sessions and continue to build their awareness of our expectations and business operations. It’s hard for us to imagine that many Chinese have never travelled outside China, their perception of ‘The Western world’ is a little different from the reality and helping them to understand why we insist on high quality is an education. That said, Chinese people are without doubt some of the most hardworking, honest, and clever people you will find in the world, their naturally respectful and gentle culture means they are happy to listen and learn.

Environmental impact and sustainability

Environmental impact and sustainability factors are now becoming just as important to china as it is in Europe and the rest of the world and in some respects, China has overtaken us in terms of implementation. A key part of our development here at Chadwick’s is to ensure we and our suppliers follow a sustainable code of practice, this was a key discussion point whilst in China with all suppliers. OEKOTEX is an independent testing certification for fabrics and trims is specified by Chadwick’s wherever possible and we have recently carried out full independent factory assessments in conjunction with ITS Intertek. In addition, all our vendors adhere to the Amfori / BSCI (business social compliance initiative) and we encourage all suppliers to follow a positive working culture for all workers and seek to continuously improve.

The addition of recycled packaging has recently been achieved and we are seeking to convert fabrics to recycled polyester step by step as long as the science is telling us this is the right thing to do. There is still much to do, but, we have already planned the next trip later this year by which time many of our new exciting new products will have arrived into UK stock. We are already looking at what next as well as looking forward to sampling yet more of that famous Chinese cuisine.

The post China is open for business, post covid restrictions! first appeared on Chadwick Teamwear.

The post China is open for business, post covid restrictions! appeared first on Chadwick Teamwear.

This includes the need to have sustainable and ethical supply chains as well as considering the ongoing impact of climate change on day-to-day lives created by the consumer products we buy. There is now a tangible momentum gathering pace to encourage consumers to stop and consider where the products they buy are coming from and how they were made and the people who made them. This will undoubtedly continue to drive changes in demand and trends as well as cost.

The subject of ‘sustainability’ is now a hot topic, particularly in the clothing industry and the need for companies to demonstrate they have a sustainable trading policy and a future-proof plan in place is vital.

The sustainability market is expected to grow from $6.35 billion to $8.25 billion in 2023. Rising conscious consumerism is driving this growth – 83% of consumers want to see brands acting sustainably.

Many of our customers are increasingly asking about the sustainability credentials of our supply chain. As a company, we attach great importance to ensuring that our business can demonstrate we also share the same values as consumers. We have already taken considerable steps to offset our carbon footprint and environmental impact with the introduction of biodegradable bags for all new garment production. Additionally, we have funded restoration projects in both Tanzania and the UK, planting over 400,000 trees over the past five years. However, activities form only part of our plans to trade ethically, and sustainably whilst taking positive action against climate change /wastage.

Sustainability covers a wide variety of topics, it’s not just about the products we make and buy but is also about our production and sourcing, through to delivery in the UK. As a company, we are looking at how we and our suppliers can mitigate our impact -both ethically and environmentally. To make this effective it’s important we have a credible plan in place to enable both customers and suppliers alike to recognise we are progressive in this regard.

The first phase of work we have commissioned relates to: 

C.S.R – Corporate and Social Responsibility – we are undertaking an extensive review of all our suppliers in China in the first instance to ensure they follow a strict code of working practices, these will be done in conjunction with an independent 3^rd party inspection/auditing company which will add credibility to our actions and claims, this will also include a review of factory facilities to ensure they are doing all they can to reduce their carbon footprint and unnecessary wastage.

Following this, we will implement phase 2, which will be looking at individual products and how we ensure they are meeting environmental needs.

Sustainability is an ongoing process, not just a momentary ‘box ticking’ exercise. We believe that by putting measures in place now we will be in a strong position to build a sustainable business for the future.

The post Chadwick Teamwear-Building For Sustainability first appeared on Chadwick Teamwear.

The post Chadwick Teamwear-Building For Sustainability appeared first on Chadwick Teamwear.

Reversing deforestation is the number-one strategy for stopping global warming. With the current rate of deforestation, the worlds rainforests will be gone in less than 100 years. Trees are the best at capturing carbon that humans and other organisms produce and fight the consequences of a changing climate. Up to 15 billion trees are cut down globally each year. This is not sustainable for wildlife, people or for the climate.

As part of our ongoing partnership with Raleigh International and to help raise funds for their tireless efforts alongside Action Not Excuses, we decided to bring the fight closer to home by planting a target of 100 trees in Cheshire.

On Saturday 27th of November 2021. The Chadwick team set out in force and planted 160 saplings of various species including Hazel, Willow, Oak, Crab Apple, Holly and Scots Pine. Whilst they won’t show much sign of life until Spring 2022 they will capture up to 2 metric tons of carbon and help to combat the ever rising threat of global warming.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all those who have already sponsored us. There is still time to make a donation, please see the link below to help make a difference today.

The sponsorship raised will help fund youth-led campaigns, exciting green initiatives, and new environmental projects so young people can lead and take climate action where they are.

This is what your money could go towards:

•£10 could go towards establishing recycle points and schemes to reduce plastic.
•£50 could go towards producing low-cost prosthetic limbs out of recycled plastics.
•£100 could provide technical training to a young entrepreneur, enabling them to establish their own green business.
•£800 could build a brand-new tree nursery housing 15,000 saplings ready to be transported and planted.

The climate crisis is real. So are the solutions. It is time for action, not excuses.

If you would like to sponsor us and help take action it’s not too late and takes less than 5 minutes.
To donate, simply click this link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chadwick-textiles

Thank you for your support.

Read Article: Import Upheaval Read Article: Reversing Deforestation

The post CHADWICK’S FUNDRAISING TEAMWORK TO HELP COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING first appeared on Chadwick Teamwear.

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