HAWES & CURTIS SINCE 1913

Our approach to sustainability

The fashion industry is facing some of the greatest challenges today. We, at Hawes & Curtis, are wholeheartedly acknowledging the need for ground-breaking changes in order to adapt to a more sustainable, more circular fashion system, that supports the people in our supply chain, economies and natural ecosystems. We are developing the Hawes & Curtis Sustainability Strategy with the needs of our customers in mind whilst sincerely caring for the people and natural resources within our supply chains. At Hawes & Curtis, we are recognizing diverse stages of our production processes, from sourcing and manufacturing through to end product and customer ownership all the way through to the end recyclability/re-use or disposal of our products. We have developed our sustainability agenda aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

By becoming members of the Better Cotton Initiative and conducting due diligence in our supply chain, by using qualitative fabrics and ensuring the manufacturing facilities are periodically audited and also by running take-back schemes for our garments and developing new packaging strategies, we are working towards guarding access to Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Gender Equality, Responsible Consumption and Production and No Poverty within our supply chain.

Sustainability Statement

People in our Supply Chain

Better Cotton

We are proud members of the Better Cotton Initiative from December 2019. BCI supports better environmental practices and better livelihoods and working conditions for farmers and farm workers. We have chosen to become part of a global initiative in order to secure a more sustainable future for the cotton sector.

 

Certifications At Factory Level

Our main formal shirting manufacturing facility has strong corporate responsibility policies in place offering free eye tests, health supplements for workers and high standards of workers’ health and safety.

Social/ Environmental Standards in Our Supply Chain

Our factories and manufacturing facilities are compliant with their local legislation. We hold STANDARD 100 and STEP by OEKO-TEX® certification within our supply chain, as well as Global Organic Textile Standard facility certification. Our manufacturing facility based in Lufeng, China has been awarded an 80% overall score as per the OEKO-TEX® sustainability measure, STeP by OEKO-TEX®. OEKO-TEX® measures a facilities sustainability performance based on six key modules; this means that our plain shirt manufacturing facility produces garments in an environmentally and socially sustainably way; they scored as high as 97% on Environmental Management and 90% on worker’s Health and Safety.

Should you wish to enquire further, please get in touch with our customer service agents.

Our Product & Care

Pure Cotton Shirts

Our core shirting line is made of 100% pure cotton. Our main shirting supplier has been registered with Better Cotton Initiative since 2018. B.C.I. is a global organisation helping to improve the global cotton industry. In 2019 October 2019 we became members of the Better Cotton Initiative.

Shirting Care Guide

In order to better maintain and prolong the lifecycle of your shirts, please take a look over the following guide: how to care for your shirts

Suiting- Responsible Wool

We design for durability. Our suits are carefully manufactured in accordance to a variety of fits and they can be tailored so they fit you perfectly. Also, they are made from pure wool, which makes them highly breathable- this means you are more likely to keep the suits for longer and to prolong their lifecycle. Our main wool supplier has just joined the Responsible Wool Standard in 2019 (this is a worldwide standard on the welfare of the farmers and animals throughout the supply chain).

Shirting - Printing Process

The majority of our women’s and Curtis shirts are digitally printed. Digital printing is an eco-friendlier type of textile processing. Research suggests that whilst no manufacturing process is without impact on the environment, Digital Textile Printing is certainly one of the most environmentally friendly in today’s UK textile industry. This means no water is used in the process as the colour is applied directly on the fabric.

Linen Fabric

We use linen fabric which is recognised for its sustainability. Our core suiting and shirting lines include a variety of linen garments. Linen is known to be sustainable as a crop. "Flax cultivation has positive effects on the diversity of ecosystems and offers a healthy environmental break for the quality of soils, biodiversity and landscapes" (Source: Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament, Brussels, 20 May 2008).

The flax plant that produces the linen fibre is known for using fewer pesticides and doesn’t require irrigation in order to grow; therefore, it is a sustainable crop itself.

Materials Recycling, Repurposing & Disposal.

Recycled Cardboard Boxes

We currently offer packaging for online purchases (boxes) supplied by Lil Packaging UK, that is produced locally in the UK and that is 66% recycled cardboard and 33% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) responsibly sourced cardboard and fully recyclable. This means that the wood that makes the cardboard of our boxes will never be sourced from ancient or endangered forests.

New Packaging Solutions

We are in the process of developing new packaging solutions and strategies across our business so we can reduce the cardboard and plastic used. We are working on sourcing alternative materials for plastic bags, clips and other plastics involved in the packaging. Furthermore, we are developing a system that would, in the future, give you the possibility to opt for a lighter packaging at the check-out, after making a purchase.

Plastic Packaging Take Back Scheme

We are designing an in-store take back and recycle scheme of the plastic packaging with the intention of extending this for the online shopping process.

Garments Take Back Scheme

We have successfully organised our first Garment Take Back Scheme in October 2019. We are proud to say that the initiative has helped our customers to bring back their preloved shirts. This accounted for 30 kilograms of shirting that has been diverted from landfill. We had seven central London collection points. Our customers were be able to bring their used shirts (any brand) in store for charitable recycling. All the recycled shirts were sold for charitable purposes, prolonging the lifecycle of the garments. The scheme was running for the full month of October 2019 and we are planning to organise other Garment Take Back initiatives in the future.

Recycling Garments

We are aiming to continue supporting other charitable organisations in the UK by organising further garment Take Back schemes. We understand the Global Fashion Agenda and we strive to adhere to their principles:

  • Increasing the volume of used garments and footwear collected.
  • Increasing the volume of used garments and footwear resold.

    This is because we want to increase the time a product is used and to address the textile waste issues within UK. We also hope that through our clothes recycling programme we can help raise funds for UK-based Charity partners.