product
sustainable materials
In order for us to rate a product as “more sustainable”, it must be made from at least 50 % more sustainable fibres. We have established clear targets for materials with a lower impact on the environment. This motivates us to continuously seek out and select better, more eco-friendly materials.
In early 2020, we achieved a new record: 57 % of our garments were made of more sustainable materials. We continuously scan the market to find new, innovative fibres with a lower environmental impact. One of our latest additions is Polylana®, manufactured from a blend of new and recycled materials to create an innovative fibre with characteristics similar to those of acrylic or wool fibres. Read more in our materials guide here.
By 2028, the products we offer will be made of 100 % more sustainable materials.
gina tricot’s animal welfare policy
Gina Tricot requires all partners working with animals under human control to respect the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) animal welfare policy, as described below.
The Five Freedoms are as follows:
– Freedom from hunger, malnutrition, and thirst
– Freedom from fear and distress
– Freedom from physical and thermal discomfort
– Freedom from pain, injury, or disease
– Freedom to express normal behaviour
In terms of materials, we apply the following:
1. We do not sell products made of leather, down, or feathers unless these materials come from animals reared for meat production
2. We do not sell products containing fur, cashmere, or angora
3. We do not allow the mulesing of merino sheep
4. We do not allow sandblasting of jeans
5. We do not allow bone or horn content in our products
content and quality
Our products are not allowed to contain harmful chemicals. We work only with suppliers who have signed our restricted chemicals list, based on the EU’s REACH legislation. To ensure that our requirements are met, we carry out continuous product tests, both at suppliers’ premises and in Sweden.
The production in Bangladesh is quality controlled on site by our own staff, and in other production countries, we conduct selected quality controls based on our risk assessment. We also have staff on site in China and Turkey who are dedicated to sustainability and quality work. These regular inspections and random samples are carried out so that we can achieve the highest possible quality. In 2019, we completed more than 1,000 in-production quality controls of our products. Our children’s clothing must comply with additional requirements and we quality test 100 % of production.
In 2019, we took another major step and launched our children’s clothing collection. Selling products to children entails significant responsibility. By this we mean that we have additional requirements, for example on product safety. We also have more stringent controls regarding chemicals in the garments. Children must be able to move and play freely without risk when they wear our clothing. This is of great importance to us and we constantly strive to improve all parameters in this regard. We’ve established internal routines and supplier guidelines throughout the production process to ensure safe production and safe products. We also conduct internal training in child safety for our colleagues who develop our children’s products.
customer care & responsibility – wear, care, share
Together with our customers, we share responsibility for a reduced environmental impact. It is thus vital that we inform our customers about minimising environmental effects and provide tips and advice on how they can ensure that their garments last longer.
Buy clothing that you know you will use frequently and for several years. Ensure that each garment can be matched and styled with other garments in your wardrobe. Garments that are purchased and cared for wisely have a longer life cycle.
Mending or altering garments creates an updated look and prolongs the life of the garment. You can always take your old garments to Gina Tricot stores for recycling. We donate all returned defective garments to our long-standing partners, Human Bridge and Fretex.
Our care guide recommends less frequent washing of garments and washing at a lower temperature. It’s best to remove any stains on your garments immediately. Often, you don’t need to wash the entire garment – just treat the stain. You can also air your garments or use a laundry spray to freshen garments.
circular fashion
To be able to sell sustainable products to our customers, we need to adopt a circular approach – one of the biggest challenges that we currently face in the fashion industry. An important step is to collect clothes that are worn out or no longer used. The important thing is to ensure that the garments find their way to new owners! Worn-out clothing must be recycled, with the goal of becoming new raw material. Increasing the number of garments collected for recycling is a crucial first step in prolonging the life of our products or creating new raw materials in an infinite sustainability cycle. In 2019, we collected 50 tonnes of clothing.
Old and worn garments are often passed on or sold as second-hand items, but the majority of all clothes end up in landfill or are incinerated. The same applies to much of the waste from production. Very little is recycled because the quality of recycled textiles is too low – but now that has changed!
Gina Tricot started working with Re:newcell in 2018. Re:newcell uses cotton waste to produce clean, natural, biodegradable raw materials that can be used for new clothes of the highest quality – and these clothes can be recycled over and over and over again.
In 2019, with the help of our denim suppliers, Gina Tricot donated 36,066.5 kg (6,849 kg) to Re:newcell’s factories. This material was converted into new textile fibres that can be used over and over again. Our goal is to involve even more of our suppliers in the same initiative and of course increase our share of donated textile waste to Re:newcell.
more sustainable fibres
Fibre types that are classified as more sustainable and that Gina Tricot has chosen to use are: Better Cotton (BCI), EcoVero®, organic cotton, Polylana®, TENCEL®, recycled materials, and wood-based fibres (viscose, Lyocell®, and cupro). The wood-based fibres that we have chosen to use have the highest ranking in CanopyStyle’s Hot Button Report. CanopyStyle is an initiative for protection of forests around the globe. We are just one of many textile companies involved that support pressure on viscose suppliers to stop using wood from virgin or endangered forests – a practice that threatens biodiversity.
Cotton is one of the most important materials that we use, but cotton production is water-intensive and pesticides are a major problem. We are proud members of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). This is a training programme to help cotton growers transition to more sustainable cultivation, with significantly decreased consumption of water, chemicals and pesticides. BCI also works to improve the working conditions of cotton farmers. However, this does not mean that the cotton is organic. In coming years, the goal is to move large portions of production from BCI to organic cotton. No chemicals are allowed in organic cotton production and the production chain is 100 % transparent.