Sustainability and compliance
Claims we can evidence.
If a supplier cannot produce a document, we will not let you print the claim. That rule has cost us work. It has also kept several clients out of trouble.
Certifications
We hold none yet.
Writing that is cheaper than the alternative, and you would find out at audit anyway.
What that means
No certificate in our own name, and no third party social audit on file. Where a material carries a certification it belongs to the mill or the tannery, and the document comes from them, passed to you unedited.
What we offer instead
- Your auditor, or one you appoint, in the building on any working day
- Every supplier named on your bill of materials, with no broker in between
- Supplier declarations passed through as issued
- Balance payable only once you have read the inspection report
If a certification is a condition of working with you, tell us which one and we will start it. We would rather carry the cost than carry a claim we cannot show you.
How we work
Four things we control,
and report on.
01
Sourcing standards
Every supplier on your bill of materials is named. We buy hides from tanneries that can show where the raw material came from, and we decline suppliers who will not answer the question. Nominated suppliers you bring are held to the same standard, and we will tell you if one of them fails it.
- Supplier list shared with you, not hidden behind a broker
- Every tannery named on your bill of materials, with its own audit documents where it holds them
- Annual supplier review, documented
02
Traceability
Each production batch carries a record of which material lot went into it. If a claim is challenged, or a fault appears a year later, we can tell you which hides and which line made that bag rather than guessing.
- Batch to material lot records kept for 5 years
- Chain of custody documents passed through where suppliers issue them
- Component level reporting on request
03
Chemical management
We work to a restricted substances list and ask suppliers to declare against it. Where your market has stricter rules than ours, your list governs, and we will price any change it forces before you commit.
- ZDHC MRSL applied across materials and trims
- PFAS free finishes only, with supplier declarations
- Third party testing arranged on request, at cost
04
Waste and offcuts
Leather cutting produces offcuts whatever you do. What varies is whether they are used. We nest patterns to reduce waste first, then route what is left into small leather goods and sampling rather than to landfill.
- 70 to 80% average material utilisation per hide
- Offcuts above 100 cm² retained for small goods
- Recycled and FSC certified packaging stock available on every order
People
The part that is not a material
A bag is made by people standing at machines. Most factory sustainability pages skip that, so here it is plainly: everyone on this floor is directly employed by us, paid above the legal minimum with social benefits, and works hours set out in a contract they hold a copy of.
100%
Directly employed, no labour agency
6
Average years with us
60%
Trained in a second operation
Social audits by you or a third party you appoint are welcome, announced or not. Visit the atelier.
Plainly
What we will not claim
Greenwashing is a commercial risk you carry, not us. So we would rather disappoint you here than in a regulator's letter.
01
Carbon neutral
We do not sell offsets as a result. We will measure and report our footprint for your range if you ask, and leave the conclusion to you.
02
Fully recyclable
A bag with mixed materials and metal hardware is not recyclable in practice. We will tell you which components are, and design for separation if that matters to you.
03
Vegan means lower impact
Some alternatives are petroleum based and wear out faster. We will give you the trade off for the specific material rather than the category.
Ask for the documents.
Supplier declarations, the full bill of materials and a date for your auditor, before you commit to anything.