ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCING BEST PRACTICES
We are proud members of SEDEX and Full Members of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), and a Certified Australian Trusted Trader. Our collective businesses are committed to achieving globally recognised standards of Ethical Sourcing, together with sustainable production and product sourcing with the best manufacturing and Supply Chain practices.
Our businesses recognise our roles and responsibilities in protecting human rights throughout our Supply Chain through Ethical and Sustainable engagement with our Supply Chain Partners whilst incorporating a commitment to upholding the United Nations Guiding Principles on business and human rights (UNGPS) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) core conventions.
Hotsprings and our Brands associates PE Nation, and Rebecca Vallance, design, source, and contract manufacture of apparel and associated product programs for many Australian Retailer House Brands, and we supply products Internationally to our Retail Partners and via our extensive online service platforms.
Hotsprings was incorporated in 1993 with an embedded commitment to ensure the health, wellbeing, and safety of all workers which we see across our Supply Chain which is built on the principles of sharing success with Supply Chain Partners and Workers.
P.E. Nation (Bcorp Certified) entered partnership with Hotsprings in 2016, and Rebecca Vallance followed in 2017, and both share group commitments of Ethical and Sustainable practices across their Supply Chain Partners.
We are proud to have been accepted as full ETI Members in July of this year after a journey from Foundation membership which saw dramatic upheaval from the impact of Covid across our industries’ Supply Chains worldwide, and where, with extensive guidance and support from both the ETI and via our membership of SEDEX have enabled us to maintain our vision and commitments with programs that are supporting our Supply Chain Partners and Workers.
The ETI code and its principles incorporated into SEDEX SMETA audit programs have given us a level of transparency across all of our Tier 1 Suppliers who are listed in detail across our collective websites with further additions and reviews to follow.
With ETI guidance, we have successfully moved forward with the implementation of various Workers Grievance reporting programs including third party Workers Voice program, and most recently our role out of our “WE CARE” workers grievance reporting program which operates with support from workers representatives and committees, and we will continue to work with the ETI and SEDEX towards transparent mitigation and remedy programs.
Our membership of SEDEX; a global organisation dedicated to driving improvements in Ethical and Sustainably Responsible Sourcing business practices across all levels of Supply Chains supports our commitment to operate and manage a responsible sourcing program that provides workers with safe working environments that ensures their Human Rights whilst enabling protection of their rights to free speech and remediation of grievances in a working environment supported by ongoing improvement programs and initiatives.
Use of ETI resources together with SEDEX systems have given us the ability to identify our Supply Chain major salient rights issues and we have begun the role out of programs together with our Supply Chain Partners aimed at mitigation and ongoing improvement together with remediation projects that focus across areas including excessive working hours, correct level of social insurance payments to workers, safety and workers health, payments of living wages, and gender discrimination.
We continually work with our vendors to assist with and ensure compliance with appropriate National, Regional, and International laws whilst complying with regulations and conventions within the countries in which they operate (link to factory list) and we work together with recognised compliance audit programs to continually monitor any non-compliances and provide all necessary corrective action and improvement programs.
We have a commitment to having our supply chain partners work with us and the ETI on SEDEX to achieving the ETI goals of ensuring workers the provision of decent work protection of the vulnerable across to human rights, a living wage, and dignity for all, free from exploitation and abuse whilst providing opportunity for personal growth.
ETI Base code:
Employment is freely chosen.
Freedom of association
Working conditions are safe and hygienic.
Child labour shall not be used.
Living wages are paid.
Working hours are not excessive.
No discrimination is practiced.
Regular employment is provided.
No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.
For more information, please refer to the following links:
Home | Ethical Trading Initiative (ethicaltrade.org)
Sedex - Empowering Responsible Supply Chains
Click here to read our Ethical and Social Compliances Policies and Responsible Buying Commitments
SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Hotsprings and our Brands partners are committed to transparency across our Supply Chains including our current published commitments to ensure that our product and sourcing programs reduce environmental impacts, including the incorporation of Sustainable Development goals in line with United Nations Fashions Industry Charter for climate change (UN Fashion Charter).
Our brands are committed to ensuring that both our products and sourcing programs are focused on reducing environmental impacts via a number of initiatives and projects including:
Incorporation of Sustainable Development Goals in line with United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including Social Justice.
Further uptake of Materials Sustainability Initiatives including use of organic cotton, recycled fibres and viscose rayon and bamboo viscose with certification to Forest Stewardship Council Program FCS.
Review of our operations to better assess our present Carbon emissions performance and to initiate appropriate programs aimed at achieving a defined company Carbon Emissions Reduction commitment.
Complete full tracing of our Supply Chain beyond current 100% Apparel Factories tracing through to Dyehouses, Fabric Mills and Fibre supply by the end of Quarter 2, 2023.
1/ Complete research into the most appropriate Sustainability Program partner by end-2023 and engage with them to begin to quantify our current Carbon Footprint and Greenhouse Gas emission levels by the end of 2025 and to publish results at that time.
2/ A commitment to support the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change (UN Fashion Charter) and meet the requirement towards net-zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by no later than 2050, and at the same time, aim to reduce GHG Emissions by 50% when compared to 2019 levels.
For further updates on our COVID-19 Statement, please click on link below.