Fresk

Fresk is a Dutch brand founded by Katja and her brother Mark van Aardenne. They also lead KUK Company, a company distributing baby products across Europe for over 10 years.

Many of Fresk’s products have earned the GOTS (Global Organic Cotton Standard) organic fibre label. To achieve the GOTS label, Fresk must meet strict standards that cover all stages of their processing, production, packaging, labelling, and distribution.

Fresk prioritizes responsible production. They make all products with care and attention. They mention on their website that they design in the Netherlands and produce sustainably within Europe. The production facilities must adhere to strict European Union labour laws. They do not provide further details about their production locations or the origins of their materials.

The majority of Fresk’s baby products are made from organic cotton.

Organic cotton is cultivated without harmful pesticides and chemicals, benefiting both the environment and your baby. Many of their products have received the GOTS quality mark, a global standard that ensures the organic status of cotton from production to processing.

All bags are crafted from 100% recycled polyester, sourced from recycled PET bottles. This practice greatly reduces environmental impact by reusing waste materials.

However, the brand does not disclose information about their packaging materials and transport methods. COSH! encourages brands to share this data to foster conscious choices. The selection of packaging and transportation methods can greatly affect a brand’s ecological footprint and overall environmental impact.

Fresk focuses solely on business-to-business (B2B) sales and does not sell directly to consumers. This approach may affect packaging choices, as products are likely packed and shipped in larger quantities, which can enhance efficiency in transport and packaging and potentially decrease environmental impact.

Fresk has mainly products made of mono-material organic cotton. Products made from pure cotton are easier to recycle at the end of their useful life. This is because mono-materials do not require the complex separation and processing often required with products made from multiple materials. Grown without harmful pesticides and fertilisers, organic cotton offers significant benefits for biodegradation, as it returns to the earth more safely after use without potentially causing soil contamination.

The bags made of 100% recycled polyester demonstrate a strong commitment to circularity, by reusing materials and reducing waste and resource consumption. At the end of their useful life, they are also easier to recycle back.

However, they have no return/​repair/​return platform. Setting up a circular system benefits both the brand and the planet.

According to their website, all products are designed in the Netherlands and manufactured in Europe.

The brand does not disclose the sourcing locations of the materials or further details about the production sites. This lack of information makes it impossible to fully assess the exact length or impact of the value chain.

Additionally, they do not provide any information about their transport methods. This omission is significant as transportation can greatly influence their environmental impact, regardless of the production chain’s length.

Fresk does not use any animal materials, so they are theoretically a vegan brand unless they use animal derived products in the chemicals.

The majority of Fresk baby products are made of organic cotton. Organic cotton is wonderfully soft for baby’s skin and provides a fine fit and great comfort.

Organic cotton is breathable and absorbent and balances the body temperature, making it non-seasonal, as are the colours, silhouettes and patterns used by this brand. It is a durable material that is easy to care for, so the products can be passed on from child to child.

Fresk’s products are designed to be comfortable, functional and easy to mix and match. The cheerful prints and playful designs ensure your little one always looks cute and stylish.

The brand’s transparency is notably insufficient. While their website provides general information about the materials used, such as a material guide, crucial details regarding production locations, material sourcing, transport, and packaging are scant. They do not offer in-depth insights into their production process. This absence of specific information on where and how their products are made, coupled with a lack of material certifications and sourcing details, underscores a significant transparency issue.

Nevertheless, COSH! believes that Fresk has good intentions concerning sustainability and ethics but emphasizes that there is considerable room for improvement in their transparency practices.