Ma-ia Family believes that ethical responsibility can be present in all phases of production. Even before the actual manufacturing process begins.
Let’s not design just a pair of trousers, but the best pair that can be used and loved for a long time. Let’s make items of quality that are durable and can be loved for years with proper care.
Let’s encourage maintenance and recycling. Let’s get to know the entire chain of production, from design to the customer. We favour organic cotton and other safe, ethically sourced materials and we know where our clothes are made.
There is work to be done, but we do not mind. We love to do it because we believe it benefits both people and environment. Certificates and legislature make sure that these principles of manufacturing and production happen in practise.
Here is a few.
SEDEX and SMETA
In Ma-ia Family production, we use production partners whose production action is transparent. SEDEX organisation functions as an auditing partner, who aims to make working situations better in global manufacturing chains and thus promote responsible, ethic, and sustainable actions.
SMETA is an audit which helps protect workers from unsafe working conditions, overwork, discrimination and harassment, low pay and forced and child labour. They aim to ensure the rights to join a union, get overtime compensation and to execute global environment legislature.
Amfori BSCI
Martinex Oy, Ma-ia Family’s owner company is a member of BSCI. BSCI, Business Social Compliance Initiative, protects worker’s rights in global production chains and supervises the execution of these 11 social principles via third-party factory checks.
BSCI social principles:
- Freedom to associate and bargain collectively
- Discrimination ban
- Fair remuneration
- Reasonable working hours
- Occupational health and safety
- Child labour ban
- Special protection for young workers
- No volatile employment
- No bonded labour
- Protection of the environment
- Ethical business behaviour
ORGANIC
Ma-ia Family uses high-quality and ecologic organic cotton, a responsible alternative to regular cotton. Organic cotton is produced and manufactured according to agricultural principles that ban the use of artificial manure, pesticides, and GMO seeds. The aim is to maintain nature’s diversity and soil fertility and to further the well-being of people and the environment.
GOTS
Ma-ia Family uses GOTS certified organic cotton.
GOTS, Global Organic Textile Standard, oversees the whole process of material from the fields to the store. Globally renowned standard not only furthers ecologic sustainable development but creates tight social criterion businesses need to commit to. All companies are required to take part in an yearly audit.
OEKO-TEX
Safety is very important to us. That is why Ma-ia Family products are manufactured without harmful substances, often with stricter than EU regulations.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
certificate ensures that the finished product does not contain harmful pesticides or traces of heavy metals and formaldehyde. The textile chemicals are tested in four categories, based on how close to the skin the finished product will be on. The testing includes the whole production chain, even the smallest items such as buttons and threads.
REACH
Ma-ia Family works with partners who are committed to the REACH regulation. REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. The EU regulation aims to protect people and the environment from chemical risks by registration and assessment of chemicals. REACH aims to find alternative testing methods to reduce animal testing.