Collectif is located in the UK, but they have their own factory in Vietnam which helps them ensure fair treatment of their workers and ethical production practices. Their office is located in China, where they conduct their communication (and other) activities. The brand claims to never knowingly conduct business with unethical suppliers, but does not tell the readers their process on ensuring that this does not occur unknowingly. They do not mention a code of conduct, or their verification processes for their suppliers and production facilities. They also conduct production in Bangladesh, where we hope they follow ethical production practices, but details of which are not mentioned on the website. The brand, however, assures the reader of their dedication to gender equality, providing percentages of male and female workers in their major facilities.
Collectif’s main material is conventional polyester, although this is not mentioned on their materiality page. They also use some viscose as a replacement for the polyester in some garments. This is conventional viscose not produced through sustainable production methods, but it is still a better alternative to polyester. They also use conventional cotton in many garments, and other synthetic, oil based materials such as Polyurethane in small quantities.
They claim to have procedures in place for recycling general packaging and waste, but are still working on changing their packaging to be more environmentally friendly or recyclable.
The brand does not have many monomaterial products, making their garments difficult to recycle at the end of use. They also do not have circular packaging, and do not mention any other circular business activities such as recycling of used garments, use of recycled materials, etc.
The brand is located in the United Kingdom, and has facilities located in China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. This already makes the length of the chain very long, but it is also unclear if these are all their production facilities or if there are more not mentioned on the website. We also do not know the origin of their materials, so the true length of the chain is unknown. They also do not mention their transportation methods, which makes a big impact on their overall emissions, regardless of the length of the chain.
Collectif assures the consumers that their shoes are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, and are cruelty-free. The brand does not mention the use of any animal materials, so it is, in theory, a vegan brand overall. We are not clear on this, however, as it is not explicitly stated on the website, and they could be using animal products in their finishing chemicals.
Collectif mentions their desire to produce high-quality products, but we would love to see details on what makes their (mainly polyester) products high-quality. They provide a comprehensive wash and care guide to extend the life of the clothing by 50 – 80%. They produce retro, vintage designs that surpass temporary clothing trends.
COSH! cannot in good faith say that Collectif is a transparent brand, but they do say that they are working on improving their transparency. We would love to see more information regarding their production and sourcing facilities and locations, their transportation methods, durability of garments, code of conduct, chemical use, and more!
Conclusion
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