Organic Basics

The acquisition of Organic Basics by Delta Galil Industries Ltd. has raised important questions about the brand’s ethical production practices. Delta Galil, with facilities in Israel, has been listed on the United Nations blacklist for profiting from the Palestinian occupation, leading to boycotts by the UN. This is particularly concerning given Delta Galil’s operations in illegal Israeli settlements.

For its part, Delta Galil primarily deals in ready-made branded products, especially lingerie and swimwear, which are sold through their online platforms. These websites serve as a retail outlet for their brands and an additional sales channel for the company’s diverse product range.

The founder and chair of Delta Galil, Dov Lautman, is known for his close ties with top Israeli officials. He gained notoriety after sweatshopwatch​.org labelled him a ​“Sweatshop Czar”, citing the exploitation of Arab labour in Egypt and Jordan. This backdrop casts a shadow over Organic Basics, whose final-stage products are up until now primarily produced in Portugal (53%) and Turkey (46%). Turkey, in particular, is known for its high risks of labour abuse. While the brand claims to trace its garment factories extensively and maintains transparency about its Tier 1 and some Tier 2 suppliers, it provides no information on sourcing raw materials. How and whether their factory collaborations will change in response to the Delta Galil takeover remains unanswered.

Organic Basics asserts that it only collaborates with trusted, certified factories that prohibit child and forced labour, ensure safe working environments, pay living wages, and treat workers respectfully. However, the enforcement of these standards is not detailed. Some factories have received SEDEX, SMETA, or SA8000 certifications, but none are Fair Trade facilities, which questions the validity of their working conditions claims.

Since Delta Galil’s acquisition in 2022, the absence of a new Impact Report leaves unanswered questions about the future impact on workers. This lack of reporting and Delta Galil’s controversial background present a significant challenge for Organic Basics in maintaining its commitment to ethical production and transparency.

The brand is committed to size inclusivity, having always placed a high value on inclusivity across all its operations. This commitment is evident in their approach to design, where they actively update and refine their products based on customer feedback to achieve the perfect fit.

Additionally, Organic Basics showcases its range on a diverse array of individuals, further emphasising its dedication to inclusivity. 

In light of its environmental obligations, Organic Basics has taken considerable steps to ensure the sustainability of its products, yet a critical examination reveals areas for further improvement. The brand’s use of organic cotton, certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), reflects its dedication to environmentally and socially responsible production practices.

Similarly, sourcing recycled nylon from suppliers certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) demonstrates a commitment to responsible material sourcing on social, environmental, and chemical levels.

The adoption of TENCEL™ Lyocell, certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, is another stride towards sustainability, ensuring that each component of their products, including sewing threads and prints, is free from harmful substances. However, the challenge lies in balancing these sustainable materials with practical considerations. Including a small percentage of elastane in some garments for durability, while functional, introduces synthetic elements that may not align with the strictest environmental standards.

Organic Basics’ collections predominantly feature Class A and B fibres as rated by the ​‘Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres’, indicating a lower ecological impact. While notable, the brand’s B‑Corp certification only underscores the need for continuous evaluation and improvement in balancing profit and purpose.

The partnership with One Carbon World for carbon offsetting is a commendable step towards addressing the brand’s carbon footprint. However, carbon offsetting is often seen as a complementary measure rather than a solution to the root causes of carbon emissions.

Collaboration with Made2Flow, which provides a validated scope of three environmental impact measurement solutions, brings an element of transparency and accountability. Made2Flow’s Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), compliant with ISO 14040 standards and the European Commission’s PEFCR guidelines, are essential for assessing the environmental impact of Organic Basics’ products.

Nonetheless, LCAs are complex, and the results depend heavily on the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the data used, raising questions about the depth and scope of these assessments.

Organic Basics’ partnership with Beam Impact to support charities in nature conservation, ocean conservation, rewilding, and sustainability is a positive step towards social responsibility. However, the impact of such initiatives often depends on the effectiveness and reach of the charities involved, necessitating a critical evaluation of these partnerships.

Organic Basics’ has created its own open-source Impact Index to drive a more sustainable future for fashion by increasing awareness of its environmental impact and demonstrating more sustainable practices. This Index involves a data-driven and creative approach to measuring sustainability in fashion, focusing on tracking the environmental cost of clothing in terms of water, energy, waste, CO2 emissions, and chemical footprint. 

The brand conducted an assessment comparing the environmental impact of its garments to conventional ones, considering choices in materials, manufacturing, and transportation. This quantitative tool was developed to compare their methods to traditional industry practices, reporting the environmental savings achieved. The data is primarily sourced from their manufacturers, supplemented by academic studies and industry reports when necessary. This Impact Index has NOT been peer-reviewed and falls short of including a full life-cycle assessment.

Additionally, the brand partnered with WWF to establish Turkey’s first regenerative organic cotton farm. This initiative will unfold over a minimum of three years, aiming to transform cotton farming methods in the area. The project aspires to serve as a catalyst, encouraging more farmers in the region to adopt regenerative practices in cotton cultivation.

The opening of Organic Basics’ first physical store in Copenhagen in November 2021 marked a significant development. This store is a manifestation of the brand’s core values. In designing this store, Organic Basics meticulously integrated sustainability into every facet of its architecture and interior. Adhering to strict guidelines, the brand ensured no virgin materials were used.

Every material sourced for the store came from Denmark, emphasising local sourcing. The store features bespoke furniture crafted from upcycled compressed cotton boards made in Denmark. Additionally, the store’s aesthetic elements, such as curtains, upholstery, and carpets, were created using polyester derived from recycled soda bottles.

Unfortunately, the brand offers no information on how its products are packaged or shipped to customers or within the supply chain.

Last year, Organic Basics set a goal to launch a pilot take-back program. This year, they’ve been developing a blueprint for such a program but have not been on track with its implementation. They are currently focused on finding the right recycling partner to develop a long-term end-to-end solution for their products, acknowledging the complexities of recycling mixed material garments.

In late 2021, a strategic shift led them to concentrate more on underwear, activewear, and first layers, which often involve material blends. These blends, typically including virgin synthetics like nylon and elastane, pose challenges for recycling. It appears only a small portion of Organic Basics’ products are biodegradable or recyclable, despite claims of designing for circularity. This is primarily because marketable underwear and activewear often require some stretch, usually provided by elastane, making full recyclability difficult.

Organic Basics extensively uses natural fibres, which are inherently circular as they biodegrade and return resources to the earth. However, a significant portion of their fabrics are blends.

The brand also emphasises zero-waste design. They work with factories that employ efficient fabric-cutting techniques and recycle textile offcuts, reducing overall waste. In addition, they only use pre-consumer recycled wool designated for landfill.

In tackling post-consumer waste, Organic Basics is committed to piloting a take-back program. They are currently focused on finding the right recycling partner to develop a long-term end-to-end solution for their products, acknowledging the complexities of recycling mixed material garments.

Regarding its supply chain, Organic Basics sources 1% of its materials from Scotland (wool), 53% from Portugal, 1% from Italy (recycled Nylon), and 46% of its products are manufactured in Turkey. 

However, these percentages exceed 100%, and other factories listed on their website in India, Egypt, Vietnam, and Austria (for Tencel Lyocell from Lenzing) are not accounted for in this breakdown. The traceability of their supply chain varies across different tiers: Tier 1 is 100% traceable, Tier 2 (knitters and fabric mills) is 95%, Tier 3 (yarn spinners) is 76%, and raw material suppliers are 71% traceable. This suggests that while Organic Basics is making strides in transparency and sustainability, there is still room for improvement in fully disclosing and managing their supply chain.

Organic Basics is actively measuring, reporting, and reducing carbon emissions across its entire value chain. The brand has set an ambitious target to cut its carbon intensity by 50% by 2025, using 2020 as the baseline. In their framework, carbon intensity means tracking CO2 emissions relative to revenue, a crucial metric for a growing company like Organic Basics. They follow the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, a globally recognised framework, to calculate and manage their emissions.

In accordance with the GHG Protocol, Organic Basics classifies emissions into three scopes. Scope 1 and 2 cover emissions from their company car, office, and store utilities like water, heating, and electricity. Scope 3, the most extensive, includes emissions from the entire lifecycle of their products — from raw material sourcing to garment assembly, transportation to warehouses, waste from offices and stores, business travel, packaging, and even the product’s use and end-of-life.

Organic Basics collaborates with Berlin-based Vaayu and UK-based One Carbon World for accurate, reliable data. Vaayu assists in real-time calculation and validation of emissions, while One Carbon World helps select projects to offset 100% of the brand’s carbon emissions through UN-vetted initiatives. Aware of the limitations of offsetting, Organic Basics views it as a temporary measure and emphasises the importance of reducing emissions as much as possible.

In its journey towards carbon neutrality, Organic Basics works with One Carbon World and participates in the UNFCC’s Climate Neutral Now Initiative. They aim to balance the CO2 released by their activities with an equivalent amount removed from the atmosphere.

Organic Basics showcases the PETA-approved vegan-friendly logo, and most of its products are labelled as such. Regarding their overall production, animal fibres constitute a mere 1% of their total output. 

However, the brand incorporates recycled merino wool in various knitwear items, including sweaters, hats, scarves, and socks. While it is inferred from Organic Basics’ Impact Report that this wool might be sourced from Scotland, there is no explicit statement confirming this or details of its origin. The recycled Merino wool products are crafted in Portugal, and it should be noted that there is no information guaranteeing animal welfare and cruelty-free sourcing.

Organic Basics adopts a slow-fashion ethos characterised by creating timeless designs and limited sales. Although the brand is aware of the fashion industry’s plague of consistent overproduction, Organic Basics faced the challenge of offering 25% off on selected items and colours on two occasions last year. 

While Organic Basics strives to diverge from this norm by not creating seasonal collections or clearing inventory every season, they acknowledged that their forecasting hasn’t always been accurate. Regrettably, this led to situations where discounts became necessary, despite their reluctance. Efforts to address excess stock included donations and reducing profit margins, but these measures fell short. They also recognised that rapidly expanding their product range contributed to the issue. As a result, Organic Basics is now refocusing on its core products: underwear, first layers, and activewear.

They still have an overstock in various styles and colours, particularly in the activewear line. This surplus means the brand might resort to sales campaigns again this year as they navigate the balance between production and demand in a slow-fashion framework.

In pursuit of longevity and quality, the brand focuses on sourcing premium materials, ensuring its products are durable and long-lasting. However, a noted challenge exists, especially with underwear, which is subject to frequent washing. This frequent laundering poses a significant obstacle to maintaining the garments’ quality and wearability over more than five years. 

However, the brand does provide detailed care instructions to increase the life-cycle of each product.

Organic Basics demonstrates a strong commitment to transparency in sustainability reporting on its e‑commerce website, setting it apart from its competition. The brand actively calculates its own impact and individual products annually and maintains a balance between highlighting its achievements and acknowledging areas for improvement. 

However, there are challenges in validating and quantifying some claims, particularly around environmental impact and labour conditions. Despite claims of designing for circularity, only a fraction of their products are biodegradable or recyclable because of extensive material blending.

The brand deserves credit for setting clear sustainability goals, planning initiatives, and releasing annual impact reports to track progress. They provide detailed information about most of their Tier 1 suppliers. However, the brand’s supply chain is not fully traceable, and most details are not divulged, leaving consumers in the dark. They are candid about the limits of their traceability, particularly concerning their Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 suppliers like mills, spinners, and raw material sources. 

Additionally, Organic Basics is transparent about the exact proportion of materials used in its collections and assesses the environmental impact of its products across five critical areas.

While Organic Basics publishes an Impact Report and has worked on establishing its own Impact Index, the lack of peer review on this index raises questions about its validity. Currently, the brand communicates impact reduction in absolute units, which are less effective for measuring business efficiency or tracking progress than relative values. 

Furthermore, social conditions and animal welfare are not scrutinised as closely as the environmental impact of fibres and carbon footprint. Substantiating claims about labour conditions with third-party certifications such as Fair Trade would lend more credibility. Addressing these gaps would enhance the brand’s transparency and trustworthiness in its commitment to sustainable and ethical fashion practices.

In addition, since the Delta Galil takeover in 2022, there has been no transparent communication. No Impact Report has been published, and no information has been provided, leaving many questions unanswered and highlighting the dire need for clarification regarding labour practices.