MamaLila

MamaLila today works almost exclusively with part-time mothers, who understand the value of baby wearing and are ready to cheer about-to-be parents on to their new journey. They make their clothes with the parents and babies in mind. For example their jacket zips move freely without allowing water through, and the coating makes it weatherproof without using any harmful substances, in order to avoid harm to the baby.

Some of their product descriptions also state to have been made in factories that are GOTS and BSCI certified, which ensures no use of toxic materials and better workplace standards.

While they have not stated details of their suppliers or production locations, some products are said to be produced in Germany, and some materials also sourced from Germany which ensures decent living wage conditions. However there isn’t enough information provided to conclude overall ethical conditions of sourcing and production.

All their products are FC (fluorocarbon) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) free, which means their clothes are non-toxic, free of carcinogens and better for the liver. The jackets are impregnated (made waterproof) using environmentally friendly versions of the conventional chemicals. Such as- Bionic-Finish Eco textiles which are Bluesign and ZDHC (zero discharge of hazardous chemicals) certified, and are known to be the most stringent in the field of textile finishing agents. They also use polyester rated with a Gold Level Material Health certification, which means that the chemicals and materials used in the product have been selected to prioritise the protection of human health.

MamaLila uses many synthetic and semi-synthetic materials such as polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, tencel, and nylon. Their website states the use of conventional polyester, recycled polyester made from PET bottles by Sympatex, which is Bluesign and BSCI certified, and partly recycled polyester by Thermolite Ecomade, which is certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX, Global Recycled Standard (GRS), and Gold Level Material Health. Sympatex is also approved by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) using the Higg FEM assessment tool that measures and evaluates the sustainability performance of companies. 

The polyester is finished using Bionic Finish Eco, which is designed to minimise the environmental impact during the entire production process. They also make use of polyester padding by Thermore ARIA, which is a synthetic alternative to down. Both Bionic Finish and Thermore Aria are Bluesign certified, which considers the entire production chain.

MamaLila also uses natural materials such as cotton and wool. Their cotton is certified by Organic Content Standard (OCS 100, and the wool is GOTS certified. Almost each product at MamaLila has a unique materiality, which shows their commitment to ensuring as much sustainability as possible in each garment. 

The company has also been certified as Climate Neutral – their specialist for sustainable babywearing clothing in cooperation with ClimatePartner collected all the relevant data for the Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF). Information regarding their travel and energy consumption was then used to calculate the amount of climate harmful gases produced within a year. They then identified potential savings, and additionally MamaLila has made compensatory payments to a climate protection project.

MamaLila has completely abolished polybags, uses old fabric banners for packaging, and reuses their packaging due to which they saved about 317 kilos of plastic and 803 kilos of cardboard in 2020. Their used cardboard boxes are given away as moving boxes, and the remaining are collected to make filling material for their shipping. They are unable to change the use of plastic film used in the wrapped goods delivered to them on pallets, but they themselves use stretchy tape instead which is more environmentally friendly. They are also organising a clean up for their neighbourhood to clear the ditches around the company of rubbish.

Most of MamaLila’s synthetic products are 100% monomaterial, which while not ideal, does ensure recyclability at the end of use, but some of the products contain both high percentages of synthetic and natural fibre blends, which makes them hard to separate and recycle later. However there are very few of such products on MamaLila’s online store. They also have some products made completely from production leftovers.

The brand doesn’t state the names or locations of their suppliers, however some products are stated to be made in Germany and some made in the EU. They also use some fabrics produced in Germany, all of which contributes to reduction of emissions caused by travel.

MamaLila uses GOTS certified mulesing free wool, which ensures it being organic and ethically sourced and produced, avoiding animal cruelty.

This brand uses elastane/​spandex that is a registered trademark and has a very specific composition of these elastic chemical fibres that stretch up to eight times its original size and then return to its original shape. This material is also not sensitive to sweat or deodorant, and is water repellant and windproof but also breathable. These factors ensure longevity of the jacket, the elasticity and addition of side zips to widen the jacket make it good for maternity wear as well, so the jacket can be used before or after you have your baby.

The designs are timeless to be used in harsh weather, so they can be used at any time in the year, despite hot or cool weather. The brand gives care tips for each product and material to keep them in use for longer. And also sell cleaning and impregnation products and provide instructions on how to use them so the customers are empowered to keep the products in use for as long as possible.

MamaLila provides a lot of transparency regarding their materials and certifications and their efforts regarding sustainability. Every product page states the materials, chemicals used in the product, and the overall sustainability, and some even state the location of the production. They also provide some transparency about their suppliers through storytelling, however detailed information about that is required for more assurance about their transport emissions and ethicalness of their production and sourcing.