erlich textil exemplifies a profound commitment to both sustainability and the welfare of people involved in its manufacturing processes. This commitment is evident in their respectful, strong relationships with manufacturers, underpinned by a strict Code of Conduct, regular assessments, dialogues, and visits to production facilities. These efforts ensure adherence to high social and sustainability standards.
To maintain and improve their ethical practices, erlich textil conducts annual internal assessments on sustainability and transparency. These evaluations, employing a scoring system, scrutinise ecological and social standards, including emissions, resource conservation, chemical management, complaint management, wages, and working conditions. This process also involves reviewing certifications and supply chain management, ensuring ethical sourcing and transparency, especially for materials like organic cotton imported from the Global South.
erlich textil’s approach to supply chain management is deeply ethical. The brand maintains close contact with its producers, communicating and evaluating the requirements for a complaint management system in annual assessments. A whistleblower system is also in place for anonymous reporting of concerns, reflecting their ongoing commitment to responsible manufacturing.
Beyond their internal processes, erlich textil is actively engaged in community and environmental initiatives. The brand recently introduced the “social day”, where each company team member is given one day off to support a community project. They offer 100% remote working, job tandems during parental leave, and workations to increase worker wellbeing.
Their team has also participated in global climate strikes and environmental clean-up activities. In addition, they also responded to the 2021 floods in Germany with material donations and hands-on volunteering.
Their global social responsibility extends to generous annual donations to Femnet, (amongst other organisations), a partnership with the human rights organisation SAVE, which addresses child labour, gender-specific violence, and working conditions in South India. Through these multifaceted efforts, erlich textil champions sustainability in materials and processes and upholds a holistic approach to ethical practices and social welfare.
Furthermore, erlich textil’s operational model minimises intermediaries, allowing fair pricing for producers and cost savings. This approach makes sustainable underwear accessible to a broader audience.