Sustainability at Kara Hosiery
Mission statement
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We are a project intensive producer with a strong customer focus that continually strives for improvement. We set high standards for ourselves and our suppliers and all of our suppliers are carefully selected.
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We work together to ensure that our projects are implemented on time and at the right cost. Our suppliers are important to us and critical to our success. Our ambition is that we work together to add value to our organization and ultimately to our customers.
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We offer the flexibility for our customers to choose from a number of different business models (including that of an agent, importer, wholesaler or supplier).
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This model enables us to work with any type of customer from luxury brands to hypermarkets, whether they sell online, offline or multi-channel, and under any type of partnership.
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As part of our philosophy, our international business processes and operations as well as the cooperation with external partners orientate on three action fields:
Product Quality – Social Responsibility – Environment Protection
How we make our products
Our drive and basic principles
Our business operations are determined by the action fields Product Quality, Social Responsibility and Environment Protection. Corresponding guidelines set the framework of thinking and acting for us and also for our suppliers. These guidelines base on internationally accepted standards as Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex®, the Amfori BSCI1 Code of Conduct and the ZDHC2 initiative.
Accordingly, before supplying goods to our suppliers we request conformity to our guidelines from each supplier of material and finished goods.
To verify the compliance to our requirements we assess our suppliers on a regular basis regarding working conditions, environment protection and chemical management. The audits focus on risk countries as classified by Amfori BSCI and are performed either by our specially trained employees or by independent external institutes. Based on the audit results we accompany the relevant suppliers closely to support them implementing our high standards.
Product Quality
We design and develop our products to be in line with the Kara Hosiery quality requirements. Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex® is the basis for the Kara Hosiery Quality Guideline which is provided to our material suppliers, our own production facilities as well as external manufacturers of finished goods. We assess quality along four categories:
Physical characteristics
Using Characteristics
Colourfastness
Prohibited substances
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Pilling
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Abrasion
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Change of colour shade
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Shrinkage after washing according to care labelling
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Visual appearance after washing
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Lose thread ends
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Colourfastness to washing
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Colourfastness to heavy water
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Colourfastness to rubbing
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Colourfastness to sweat (alkaline and acid)
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Colourfastness to saliva and perspiration
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Conformity to Restricted Substances List (RSL)
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Conformity to REACH
Meeting the Kara Hosiery Quality Guideline starts by purchasing material preferably holding an appropriate Oeko-Tex certificate. Regardless of whether a certificate is in place or not our own laboratory performs standard random incoming controls regarding the above-mentioned criteria on all materials before being processed in our facilities. The finished goods are tested during the subsequent product creation process. This applies to both, products from our own facilities and products sourced from external partners.
The tests performed in our laboratory cover the requirements of physical characteristics, using characteristics and colourfastness as figured above. Independent research and testing institutes verify compliance with the Kara Hosiery RSL, which sets the limits of certain substances that must not be exceeded in our products. The Kara Hosiery RSL considers relevant requirements of Oeko-Tex and REACh. Any exception from our guideline will be declared and results in root cause analyses with subsequent corrective actions.
Should there be any reason for complaint – we look forward to receiving your feedback for consideration in our product development and improvement process.
Social Responsibility
To be in line with our definition of social responsibility the conformity to the BSCI Code of Conduct along the supply chain is an essential part of our Buying Conditions. BSCI is an optional initiative for companies to support the improvement of working conditions along their supply chains. Specific institutes perform audits on a regular basis at participating companies around the world.
Independent of the availability of a valid BSCI audit we follow up the adherence to the intended social standards. Based on the supplier evaluation either our specially trained employees or independent external institutes visit the facilities on a regular basis. Assessments include but are not limited to monitor working conditions, fair wages and safety aspects. Based on audit results and development we provide close support to the factories to implement our high standards and to improve their BSCI rating. In addition to full audits Kara Hosiery continuously performs spot checks along the value chain during regular routine visits for status updates and progress monitoring.
Environment Protection
Environment Protection means to Kara Hosiery meeting nature with the biggest respect along the whole product creation process and supply chain. Right from the start, we develop our products under consideration of material origin and consequences of the required production process. We review our production and logistic processes continuously to reduce energy consumption, waste and rejects.