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“We work together with skillful suppliers that share our values of respecting people and the planet in order to make a high quality and sustainable product in a transparent manner.”

Responsible Supply Chain

We constantly experiment with new and innovative materials, styles and cuts to create products that are unique but recognizable for their consistent G‑Star signature look. As we don't own or operate any factories, we work together with skillful suppliers that share our passion and values to make a strong and sustainable G‑Star product. We are committed to ensure that our products are manufactured at our suppliers in a responsible and sustainable way.

Each year we publish our MODE Tracker progress report to transparently show our sustainability results. MADE-BY, a not for profit organization, independently verifies all our social and environmental progress and publishes them online in a G‑Star MODE Tracker.

G‑Star MODE Tracker

 

 

 

SUPPLY CHAIN

We're proud of the products we manufacture together with our suppliers and we have built trustworthy and long-term relationships with them in order to ensure continuity of the quality, look and delivery of our collections. Since 2014 the Manufacturing Map transparently shows our suppliers that make G‑Star products as well as information about the location, capacity building projects, start date of the partnership and types of products.

View Manufacturing Map
12 countries
27 suppliers
33 factories

 

SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCT

We developed the G‑Star Supplier Code of Conduct to ensure that G‑Star products are made under fair and safe circumstances. Our suppliers are required to be compliant with our Code of Conduct and the underlying Social and Environmental, Safety and Health (S&ESH) standards. We support and work together with our suppliers, and external experts to continuously improve in this area.

The Code of Conduct is provided in the primary local languages of our main production countries.
G-Star code of conduct (pdf - 105KB) G-Star code of conduct Vietnamese (pdf - 188KB) G-Star code of conduct Hindi (pdf - 184KB) G-Star code of conduct Bangladesh (pdf - 764KB) G-Star code of conduct Tamil (pdf - 467KB) G-Star code of conduct Chinese (pdf - 573KB) G-Star code of conduct URD (pdf - 216KB)

MONITORING & DEVELOPMENT

To verify whether our suppliers comply with our Code of Conduct, G‑Star set up a compliance process using a combination of tools. As part of this process all our suppliers are audited on a regular basis by recognized, independent organizations and checked by our internal teams on their social and environmental performance. We also partner with our suppliers on worker well-being via coaching & training and tailored development projects.

Supply Chain Handbook(pdf - 866KB) Social & Labor Guideline (pdf - 985KB) Modern Slavery Act (pdf - 208KB)

TRANSPARENCY

Transparency in supply chains is of great important to us. Around 95% of our production volume (this differs per season) of all G‑Star suppliers are included in the Manufacturing Map. In March 2017 we also signed the Supply Chain Transparency Pledge to publish more information that will enable workers and consumers to find out where their products are made. We published the extra information on our direct suppliers and processing facilities in our G‑Star Manufacturing list.

G-Star Manufacturing list (pdf - 179.17KB) G-Star Manufacturing List Excel(xlsx - 24.44KB) Transparency pledge (pdf - 1457KB)

CHEMICALS

We do not allow the use of chemicals in our products that have a harmful effect on health or the environment and work actively to prevent the use of those chemicals. We live up to strict quality and safety standard and regulations, and carefully monitor the use of chemicals in G‑Star products.

Our textile engineers and quality assurance specialists work together with our suppliers on proper use of chemicals and compliance with the Restricted Substances List (RSL) and Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) by performing risk assessments, auditing and testing of our garments.

Environmental Guidelines (pdf - 915KB) RSL (pdf - 822KB) ZDHC MRSL 2.0 (pdf - 1.22MB)

DETOX COMMITMENT

In 2013 we publically committed to eliminate industrial releases of hazardous chemicals into the environment, and set the target to reach zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHC) from all our products and production processes by 2020.

A few important achievements in line with our Detox commitment:

  1. Elimination of APEOs since the end of August 2013
  2. Elimination of Phthalates since the end of September 2013
  3. Implementation of the G‑Star MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substance List) in October 2014
  4. Elimination of all PFCs (short and long chain PFCs) since 1 January 2015

DOWNLOAD LATEST REPORTS

  DETOX Report 2019 (pdf - 706KB)   DETOX Commitment (pdf - 92KB) DETOX Progress report (pdf - 205KB)

 

More results and progress made can be found under downloads

PARTNERSHIPS

ZDHC

We joined Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) in 2012 for its holistic approach to tackling the issue of hazardous chemicals in the global textile, leather and footwear supply chain. Since then, G-Star has been actively engaged in the ZDHC community to help the industry align towards this common goal and develop the standards and tools necessary to affect real change. From 2018 onwards, G-Star is implementing the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), a standard that helps avoid the use of banned chemical substances during production, in its global supply chains and business partners. G-Star encourages its suppliers to use the ZDHC Gateway to substitute conventional chemicals for safer and more sustainable alternatives and asks them to have their wastewater tested to ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. By regularly asking updates of the ZDHC InCheck and ClearStream reports, G-Star monitors the performance of its suppliers.

Visit roadmaptozero.com

DUTCH TEXTILE AGREEMENT

Mid 2016 we signed the Agreement on a Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector to make the international textile industry more sustainable, fair, environmentally friendly, animal friendly and safe. We joined this Dutch coalition as a joint approach is needed to drive the entire garment and textile industry forward and join forces on sustainability targets that are difficult or impossible to achieve individually.

Visit imvoconvenanten.nl

SAC

We are member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) since May 2017. This is the apparel, footwear and textile industry's alliance for sustainable production. The main focus is on building the Higg Index, a standardized supply chain measurement tool. By joining forces in a Coalition, we can address the urgent, systemic challenges that are impossible to change alone.

Visit apparelcoalition.org

“G-Star bans the use of hazardous chemicals in G‑Star products and processes by 2020."

PROJECTS

THE SLCP

In January 2016 G‑Star joined the Social & Labor Convergence Project (SLCP) facilitated by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition - an initiative led by the world's leading manufacturers, brands, retailers, industry groups and civil society organizations. The mission of the project is to develop a common assessment framework to measure continuous improvement and increase the opportunity for transparency.

Visit slconvergence.org

BANGLADESH ACCORD

We signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in 2014 and its extension in 2018. We work together in a multi-stakeholder partnership structural improvement of the safety in the Bangladeshi garment sector.

Visit bangladeshaccord.org

BETTER BUYING

In 2018 G-Star RAW started collaborating with the Better Buying Initiative.
This initiative is a rating platform that allows manufacturers to anonymously rate the purchasing practices of the brands and retailers that produce in their factories. The platform allows manufacturers to advise brands and retailers specifically about the areas in which they should improve.
G-Star values the equal partnerships with manufacturers and encourages them to share their feedback. This feedback helps us to improve our purchasing practices and accelerate change in close collaboration with our manufacturers.

Better Buying Benchmark Report (pdf - 237KB)

ACT

In September 2019, G-Star RAW joined the ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation) initiative. ACT is a ground-breaking agreement between global brands/retailers and IndustriALL Global Union (the global trade union federation). The mission of this group is to transform the garment, textile and footwear sector and achieve living wages for workers through collective bargaining at industry level.

All ACT member brands, including G-Star RAW, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing themselves to ensure that their purchasing practices facilitate the payment of a living wage. By working with employers, trade unions and governments in key garment producing countries, ACT brings together all relevant actors to achieve a sustainable and productive garment industry based on wages and working conditions that are freely negotiated and meet people’s needs.

As part of the membership, G-Star will adopt the ACT commitments on purchasing practices that will guide relationships with suppliers worldwide. These commitments include five essential areas: fair terms of payment, full coverage of wage increase in FOB prices, better forecasting and planning, training and responsible exit. The ACT accountability and monitoring framework specifies the purchasing practices indicators per commitment and is a monitoring instrument to measure progress towards full implementation of these commitments of all ACT member brands. G-Star continues to commit to making a positive change within the textile industry and while it is a challenge to ensure that all workers receive a living wage, G Star strive to improve wages within the supply chain as part of its internal Fair Wage strategy. With the ACT membership, we can continue our journey and work on sustainable, impactful solutions to achieve living wages.

Visit actonlivingwages.com

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Downloads

Detox commitment

G-Star's 2012 commitment towards ZDHC (pdf - 23KB) Detox Solution Commitment with Greenpeace (2013) (pdf - 92KB)

Progress 2012

Individual Action Plan (pdf - 71KB) Steps to a Screening Methodology (pdf - 107KB) G-Star steps to develop further substitution case studies (pdf - 253KB) Progress Report 2012 on ZDHC (pdf - 221KB)

2013

G-Star Report on APEO Elimination Policy (pdf - 108.764KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 1 (pdf - 480KB) G-Star Report on Phthalates Elimination Policy (pdf - 107KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 2 (pdf - 956KB) Progress Report 2013 on ZDHC (pdf - 221KB)

RSL/ MRSL

RSL 2.0 (pdf - 822KB) ZDHC MRSL 2.0 (pdf - 1.22MB)

2014

G-Star Detox Strategy 2014 (pdf - 88KB) ZDHC Audit Protocol Report (pdf - 1667KB) ZDHC Research List (pdf - 1424KB) ZDHC Framework for Prioritising Hazardous Chemicals (pdf - 692KB) ZDHC MRSL (pdf - 500KB) Progress Report 2014 on ZDHC (pdf - 221KB)

2015

MRSL 1.0 - 2015 (pdf - 1599KB) RSL 1.3 (pdf - 673KB) ZDHC Annual report 2015 (pdf - 8788KB) Detox progress report 2015 (pdf - 3664KB)

2016

RSL 1.4 (pdf - 592KB) MRSL 2.0 (pdf - 486KB) Environmental Guidelines (pdf - 915KB)

2017

Environmental Guidelines (pdf - 915KB) Detox Progress Report 2017 (pdf - 205KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 3 (pdf - 641KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 3 - Appendix I (pdf - 5790KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 3 - Appendix II (pdf - 4640KB) Guide for Leather Manufacturers (pdf - 407KB) Sustainability Update Report (pdf - 1393KB)

Case studies on Subsport

Case Study on PFC-Free Alternative (pdf - 63KB) Case Study on Root Cause Investigation of PFOS contamination in our leather garment  (pdf - 46KB) Case Study on APEO Alternative (pdf - 65KB) Case Study on PVC and Phthalates Alternative (pdf - 68KB)

Transparency/
Disclosure

G-Star Water Discharge Report 1 (pdf - 480KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 2 (pdf - 956KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 3 (pdf - 641KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 3 - Appendix I (pdf - 5790KB) G-Star Water Discharge Report 3 - Appendix II (pdf - 4640KB) Fair Wage pilot evaluation report (pdf - 77KB) Transparency pledge (pdf - 1457KB) G-STAR SUPPLIER DECLARATION (pdf - 141KB)
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