People Tree's sustainability

Brand uses environmentally preferred raw materials for more than 70% of its volume.

• People Tree uses almost all natural fibers, with only a few products containing added elastane (8%). Their collections bring a sense of luxury to sustainable fashion with new fabrics such as brushed velvet fabrics made from organic cotton, TENCELTM Lyocell silky party dresses and structured jeans made from organic cotton.

Brand reports on the implementation of its environmental policy related to the ‘wet processes’ within the production cycle, like bleaching and dyeing of raw materials

• People Tree has a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Where all chemical inputs (e.g. dyes, auxiliaries and process chemicals) must be evaluated and meet basic requirements on toxicity and biodegradability/ eliminability. Bleaches must be based on oxygen (no chlorine bleaching) and Azo dyes that release carcinogenic amine compounds are prohibited. Also wet processing units must keep full records of the use of chemicals, energy, water consumption and waste water treatment, including the disposal of sludge. The waste water from all wet processing units must be treated in a functional wastewater treatment plant.

Brand has eliminated at least three suspect chemical groups, such as Phthalates or Perfluorinated Chemicals from its entire production

• GOTS certification standard 7 also ensures at People Tree that these chemical groups have been eliminated.

Brand supports environmental NGOs or other organizations to promote environmental sustainability

• People Tree supports GOTS and Soil Association.

People Tree does not currently report how much of their consumer packaging materials are renewable or made from recyclable materials. However, this is something they would like to report in the future. People Tree also does not have a lifetime warranty or repair services.

Manufacturing of more than 50% of product volumes happens in ’low-risk**’ countries

• People Tree's products are mainly manufactured in India and Bangladesh. People Tree wants to employ and provide work for rural artisans in developing countries to provide them with a livelihood, which means they don't have to travel to cities for work. The aim is to use handicraft skills as much as possible in People Tree's clothing to provide an income for families and help pay for things like schooling in Bangladesh.

Fair social conditions are audited by third parties (For operations outside EU)

• People Tree is a pioneer of Fair Trade fashion and is a licensee of FAIRTRADE certification. Through close partnerships they work to the highest Fairtrade standards on projects that support producers, including training in craft skills. The majority of People Tree producers are audited to Fairtrade, SA8000 and similar standards. They are guaranteed by the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and audit their factories according to the 10 Fair Trade principles.

Origin of the materials, design and the manufacturing is shared openly

• People Tree has published a list of all the materials they use and the manufacturers of their products. Organic cotton comes mostly from Chetna India, Tencel from Portugal and wool from New Zealand. You can find the lists here: for materials & for manufacturers.

Brand is following buying practices that enable living wages and good labor conditions, such as long-term relations with factories, and concentrating production at a limited number of factories

• People Tree is a World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) member and is all about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair trading conditions for farmers and workers in the South. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never be below the market price), Fair Trade addresses the injustices of traditional trade that traditionally discriminate against the poorest and weakest producers. At People Tree, the craftsmanship of producers is highly valued and producers are given time to create products and are paid a fair wage for their highly skilled work.

Open list of direct suppliers that have collectively contributed to more than 90% of the purchase volume

• You can find a full list of Fair Trade farmers, artisans and producers who make People Tree products here.

Brand supports social NGOs or other organizations to promote social sustainability

• People Tree has its own People Tree Foundation, an independent charity that works alongside the People Tree fair trade company. Founded in 1991, People Tree remains an international pioneer in fair trade fashion, promoting environmental justice and fair trade. The Foundation brings benefits for farmers and artisans through education, technical support and environmental initiatives, as well as raising awareness and campaigning for fair and sustainable fashion.The People Tree Foundation is also working on a Gender Equality Programme in Bangladesh.

People tree doesn't publicly commit to a living wage benchmark with defined wages per production region or factory, but this is something they really wanna do in future.

People Tree hasn’t disclosed the annual absolute climate footprint of its 'own operations', and hasn’t accomplished an overall absolute climate footprint but they would like to do it in the future. Also, at least 50% of the electricity People Tree uses is not generated from renewable resources.

A pioneer in sustainable Fair Trade fashion and ethical sportswear, People Tree story started in 1991. The core mission has stayed the same over the past three decades since award-winning social entrepreneur Safia Minney founded the company. Every product is made to the highest ethical and environmental standards from start to finish.

People Tree producers use traditional skills and combine them with new innovative technologies to support and grow their business. Using skills such as handloom, hand knitting or hand embroidery, they create jobs in rural areas where employment is often scarce.

People Tree's mission is to support producer partners towards economic independence, protect the environment and use natural resources properly. They also want to make quality products for customers and raise awareness about Fair Trade and

environmentally sustainable solutions. People Tree wants to be an example to other companies and governments of a Fair Trade business model based on partnership, people-oriented values and sustainability.

• Fair Trade Cotton

• GOTS

• Guaranteed Fair Trade

• PETA Approved Vegan

• Soil Association Organic