OUR RESPONSIBILITY

As we have a heart for the generations we believe we have a responsibility to people and the planet through stewarding our resources sustainably and ethically. Read on to learn about how we are choosing to grow as a sustainable and ethical brand. 


TO BE SUSTAINABLE


We are embracing slow fashion by choosing the pre-order and small batch method to eliminate the amount of waste from discarded and unwanted clothing. 
We are intentionally choosing sustainable fabrics for our designs. We will continue to update this section as our selection of fabrics grows.
Fabrics we are currently using:
  • Viscose - It is a man-made cellulosic fiber made from wood pulp. Another common name for this type of fabric is Rayon. 
  • Deadstock - Materials that have been leftover from other designers. Using deadstock fabrics avoids creating new waste and can save materials from the landfill. 

We design our tees to be evergreen, meaning they never go out of style. Each tee is intentionally designed with a story and meaning behind it. We believe that through any season these will remain classic, staple pieces in one’s wardrobe. This allows us to avoid excess waste. And we plan to keep it that way.

 

TO BE ETHICAL


To ensure that each garment is ethically made we partnered with TELAstory. TELAstory is a Manila-based, worker-led community of designers, artisans, and seamstresses, who value fair and true living wages. 

TELASTORY'S VALUES:

• Fair Wages
TELAstory pays all of our workers a true living wage. What does this mean to us? We define a living wage as a wage that allows for the following: safe housing, healthy food, transportation, education (children's school fees), clothing and household needs, savings (for big purchases like a motorbike), as well as some disposable income. We believe a worker in Asia should be making enough for themselves and several other dependents (one adult and a few kids). TELAstory bases our wages on research by Asia Floor Wage and local labor rights activists. We aim for workers accumulating full time hours to earn beyond the 23,000 pesos currently set by Asia Floor Wage as the monthly living wage in the Philippines, as we believe the higher costs of living in Metro Manila require additional compensation. Outside of TELAstory, garment workers in Metro Manila are often paid anywhere between 7000 pesos to 18,000 pesos on the high end for their work.
 
• Working Hours and Holidays
TELAstory's employees have all shifted to a flexible, work from home schedule during Metro Manila's ongoing pandemic related lockdowns and restrictions for safety. Having flexible hours ensures that the women who work for TELAstory can manage their children's off-site schooling and other aspects of COVID life while continuing to earn. 

• Medical Leave and Pregnancy Leave
TELAstory observes the standard 120 days of maternity leave in the PH. Employees get up to 10 paid sick days per year.
 
• Child Labor
TELAstory maintains a straight no-child-labor policy, where Children are defined as being under the age of 18. TELAstory performs background checks when onboarding new workers to ensure that all participants meet both our minimum legal age requirements and follow all applicable laws and regulations concerning juvenile/young workers. The average age of TELAstory’s workers is 20-60 years old.
 
• Discrimination
TELAstory employs workers regardless of gender, age, religion, marital status, race, sexual orientation, disability, disease, nationality, pregnancy, trade union, or political affiliation. All female workers receive equal payment and equal treatment as compared to male counterparts.
 
• Disciplinary Practices
TELAstory treats employees fairly, with respect and dignity. As a company we maintain a zero tolerance policy for physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal abuse or harassment. Additionally, workers are never penalized for mistakes in production or given pay cuts to compensate for company losses.
 
• Health & Safety
TELAstory will ensure that employees are provided with a safe and healthy work environment and comply with health and safety regulations at an international standard. Adequate measures, systems, protections, and training are in place to prevent harm to workers’ health, safety, and well-being.

• Freedom of Association & Rights of Collective Bargaining
TELAstory respects and recognizes the legal rights of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and without harassment or penalty.

• Waste
In our lifespan as a company, we haven’t discarded a single bit of textile waste- scraps get reused in new products, or if they are too tiny to be used in another way they become stuffing or recycled paper.


Thank you for your patience as we learn and grow!
By no means do we have a perfect system. We understand that and the importance of always looking for ways to grow and improve. If you have any questions or concerns please email hello@ladoru.com
-Ladoru Team