Curating Ethical Products - The Process
Our brands are so much more than eye-catching labels sporting the popular 'ethical', 'eco' and 'sustainable' tag lines. They have soul, they are credible and through their business efforts provide a life-giving income, a fair and safe place of work plus they invest in the community of their staff.
I do not see them as mere manufacturers, but artisans, beautiful products and real women and men, mothers and fathers, young and old living in many different communities across Asia. A fantastic group of people who have shown resilience and courage in the face of difficult circumstances. They are my heroes, and I hope as you get to know them and their products, they will be yours too.
Digging deeper into what it means to offer ethical products, here is a glimpse of the selection criteria. The icons are so that you can know which standards have been fulfilled by that brand. You will see them on our Meet the Makers bios and on each product page too.
They have passed the credibility test.
They are making an impact for good through one, some or all of these values.
Fighting exploitation
Brands that are intentional in finding people, then rescuing and restoring them from exploitation have this icon. They may have outreach programs or have positioned their business deliberately in a community at high risk to reach, rescue and restore.
There are quite a few different fair trade registrations out there, and you may already be familiar with them. The key takeaway is that they are a third-party organisation looking at a business and assessing whether the company provides the right things: a safe workplace, no child labour, fair wages and community development. The Fair Trade Federation is one registering organisation where many of our brands have their Fair Trade registration. You will find more details about the Fair Trade Principles they use to assess these brand.
Although our big focus is people, taking care of our earth has an impact on the planet and on people, especially the poor who currently are the most adversely affected by climate change.
There is a lot our brands are doing; using repurposed and recycled fabrics, metals and leathers. GOTS certified cotton ( Freeset ), non-toxic and natural dyes, sustainable yak fibre, and locally sourcing their raw products.
There is a lot for Dignity in Melbourne is doing too. We are powered by solar ( most of the time). We recycle all we can when shipments come in, packaging your orders with compostable materials and using carbon neutral delivery services.
Some of our brands create products using the artisan skills of the region. It sustains these practices, even celebrates their artistic value. Hours of careful design and labour make the pieces by hand, some from the very outset, others later in the design process. The quality and skills are incredible.
