Step One - Made Ethically
Summary
TLDRThe speaker recounts their journey to establish an ethical clothing brand, 'Step One', by seeking a factory that adheres to ethical standards. They express shock at the prevalence of unethical factories and the harsh working conditions they witnessed. After a challenging search, they found a certified ethical factory in China run by Adam Adams, ensuring high-quality products made under fair labor conditions. The brand prides itself on transparency, knowing the origin and ethical production of its garments.
Takeaways
- 🚪 The speaker's first encounter with a non-ethical factory was a turning point, leading to a commitment to build the brand 'Step One' ethically.
- 🔍 The search for an ethical factory was challenging, with the speaker visiting approximately thirty factories before finding one that met their standards.
- 📄 Ethical accreditation for factories is verified by certificates from organizations usually based in Europe, which conduct comprehensive audits.
- 📝 The audit report includes checks for basic facilities like first aid, fire extinguishers, clean drinking water, a kitchen, and a fridge, which are essential for worker welfare.
- 👶 The report also addresses serious issues like child labor, forced labor, and fair working conditions, which are often taken for granted in some countries.
- 💰 The cost of obtaining an ethical accreditation is high, with each report costing over 100,000 dollars and needing to be renewed annually.
- 🔑 The speaker set criteria for a suitable factory: it must be ethically accredited, the accreditation must be renewed annually, and they must allow unannounced inspections.
- 🌐 The journey to find the right factory involved extensive travel within and outside of China, including remote locations.
- 🤝 The factory chosen is run by a young and progressive owner, Adam Adams, who shares the vision of having an accredited and high-quality production facility.
- 🏭 The factory not only meets ethical standards but also produces high-quality products, aligning with the brand's commitment to both ethics and quality.
- 👖 The final product, the underwear, is described as not only comfortable but also ethically made, providing consumers with a clear conscience when wearing them.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial realization when they first entered a non-ethical factory?
-The speaker realized that they did not want to build their brand, Step One, in the same way as the non-ethical factories they encountered.
Why did the speaker feel the need to find an ethical factory?
-The speaker felt the need to find an ethical factory because they wanted to ensure that their brand was built on principles of ethical production and fair working conditions.
How many factories did the speaker estimate they visited before finding the right one?
-The speaker estimated that they visited probably thirty factories before finding the one that met their ethical standards.
What was the speaker's first impression of the prevalence of non-ethical factories?
-The speaker was honestly surprised and disheartened by the abundance of non-ethical factories and the poor working conditions they observed.
What is the process for a factory to be considered ethical according to the speaker?
-A factory needs to have a certificate from an organization based in Europe that inspects the factory thoroughly and certifies it if it meets ethical standards.
What are some of the criteria that an ethical factory must meet according to the certificate?
-An ethical factory must have facilities like first aid, fire extinguishers, clean drinking water, a kitchen, and a fridge, and it must adhere to principles like no child labor, no forced labor, and fair working conditions.
Why did the speaker emphasize the importance of renewing the ethical factory certificate annually?
-The speaker emphasized the importance of annual renewal to ensure that the factory continues to meet ethical standards and to maintain transparency and accountability.
What additional criteria did the speaker set for the factory beyond just having an ethical certificate?
-The speaker set additional criteria that the factory must be accredited, the accreditation must be renewed annually, and they must be able to perform unannounced inspections at any time.
What challenges did the speaker face in finding an ethical factory?
-The speaker faced the challenge of finding a factory that was both ethically accredited and capable of producing high-quality products, which they compared to finding a needle in a haystack.
Who is Adam Adams and what is significant about him running the ethical factory?
-Adam Adams is the young owner of the ethical factory the speaker chose to work with. His ownership of a factory in China at a young age is quite astounding and signifies his commitment to ethical and high-quality production.
What assurance does the speaker have about the underwear produced by their chosen factory?
-The speaker has the assurance that the underwear is not only comfortable but also ethically made, with transparency about where and by whom it was made.
Outlines
🏭 Ethical Factory Discovery Journey
The narrator recounts their first encounter with a non-ethical factory and the realization that ethical production is crucial for their brand, Step One. They express the difficulty in finding an ethical factory, mentioning the need for certifications from European organizations that inspect and approve factories based on various criteria like working conditions, safety, and labor practices. The process of finding such a factory is likened to finding a needle in a haystack, with the narrator traveling extensively and meeting numerous factories. The goal is to find a factory that not only has the accreditation but also allows for unannounced inspections to ensure ongoing ethical practices.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ethical Factory
💡Accreditation
💡Unethical Products
💡Working Conditions
💡Child Labor
💡Forced Labor
💡Fair Working Conditions
💡Inspection
💡Certificate
💡Sustainability
💡Brand
Highlights
The founder's realization of the importance of ethical manufacturing after visiting a non-ethical factory.
The challenging journey of finding an ethical factory, visiting up to thirty factories.
The prevalence of unethical factories and the heartbreaking conditions workers endure.
The discovery of the necessity for an ethical accreditation certificate for factories.
The process of obtaining an ethical accreditation, including rigorous inspections and audits.
The cost of accreditation reports, which can exceed $100,000.
The criteria for an ethical factory: accreditation, annual renewal, and allowing unannounced inspections.
The difficulty of finding a factory that meets all the ethical standards.
The founder's commitment to ensuring ethical practices even in the absence of direct supervision.
The founder's encounter with Adam Adams, the young owner of an ethically accredited factory.
Adam Adams' dedication to running a factory with both high-quality products and ethical standards.
The final selection of the factory and the beginning of a successful partnership.
The pride in knowing the origin and conditions under which the products are made.
The assurance of ethically made products, providing both comfort and conscience to the consumers.
The founder's reflection on the journey and the importance of ethical manufacturing.
The impact of ethical manufacturing on the workers and the community.
Transcripts
the first time I walked into a
non-ethical Factory I realized that that
wasn't the way that I wanted to build
the brand of step one and I thought if I
want to do this thing I'm gonna do it
right I reckon I would have been to
probably thirty factories before I found
the one I never honestly realized or
could imagine that bad factories would
be in such abundance I've walked into a
factory in st. brands that you're
probably wearing right now making
unethical products it actually kind of
breaks your heart when you see the
conditions that some people have to work
in imagine working in a space this big
by this big for 12 hours a day I had no
idea that being ethically accredited it
was even a thing because this is
actually the first time I've ever made
clothes so to find an ethical factory I
to literally start from the start how to
find and ethical factory in China mmm
first time I've ever seen Google car no
results every website I read said one
thing to be considered an ethical
factory you need a certificate and those
certificates come from one or two or
three places usually based in Europe
that will physically come out to the
factory in China they go through the
factory top to bottom and then if they
pass they pass if they don't they don't
yeah it's quite interesting on the
report you see them and I like they'll
tick the box and I actually have to take
a photo so be like user is there a first
aid is there a fire extinguisher do they
have clean drinking water as an example
is there a kitchen is there a fridge
like is there a fridge in a workplace
and there's like four or five hundred
workers there and then there's the stuff
that would never come across in
Australia child labor forced labor fair
working conditions things like that that
we would take for granted but in those
countries that actually really happens
so that stuff is all in this report but
these things are a big deal each one of
these reports costs over 100 grand men
gave them four one three five years so
if I was going to do this and find a
factory that had the accreditation I
wanted to make sure that I would renew
that every single year so I started
meeting with all these factories and
wasn't just the accreditation that I
found the challenge I defined another
way to ensure that the right thing was
done even when I wasn't there so I
define a factory that had three things
one they were credited to it was done
annually and three I could turn up
unannounced at any time to perform an
inspection and so starts the hardest
part of the rest of my life
finding these factories is like a needle
in a haystack with this factory for that
Factory middle of China outside China on
the coast inside one a train on a plane
on a bus in the middle of nowhere
it's everything at once and it's full
speed and then one day I found the one
it's actually run by an absolute legend
of a guy Adam Adams a really young guy
he's probably my age is probably 35 36
and to own a factory like that in China
at that age is quite astounding Adams
mandate was have a factory that was both
accredited and did very very high
quality products so we shake ends and
pay the deposit and we never looked back
the next minute we've got the underwear
and beauty of it is I know exactly where
it was made who made it and it was made
under ethical standards so those dates
you're wearing they're not only insanely
comfortable but they're also ethically
made
[Music]
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