Code of Conduct

THE R COLLECTIVE’S SOURCING GUIDELINES AND MANUFACTURING CODE OF CONDUCT

The R Collective (HK) Limited is a social impact business that reduces fashion’s waste by rescuing waste/ excess materials from premium and luxury brands, mills and manufacturers for reuse and recycling.

The R Collective’s sourcing guidelines:

● ‘Waste’: is defined as materials that are unwanted by their present owner in their current form and have no commercial value.

● Types of ‘waste’ used: We reuse or recycle most types of fabrics and materials that are suitable for apparel, including and not limited to (pre-consumer/ deadstock) fabrics, trims and metalware. We use natural and man-made fibres. We do not reuse real fur, any exotic skins or any species listed in CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) into our own collections.

● Traceability and transparency of our ‘waste’: We preferentially source excess materials from premium and luxury brands, mills and manufacturers and we always ensure full visibility of knowing which company owns our incoming fabrics. We preferentially source fabrics and materials from companies that have sustainability, sourcing guidelines and ethical codes of conduct in place. We track our incoming fabrics by incoming company, alongside a minimum amount of information that includes; country of origin, fibre content, total yardage, age. We do not acquire or buy ‘waste’ from jobbers, or textile traders, as there is little to no traceability, transparency and chemical safety for these fabrics.

● Fabric source disclosure: We are under Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA) with our fabric ‘waste’ partners, which prevents us from publicly disclosing the exact source of our fabrics. Until such time that our waste partners are willing to be publicly-disclosed, we are required to keep our source of fabrics confidential from the public and media. However, we maintain good levels of fabric sourcing information, and are able, on an ad-hoc basis, to share certain information with our private stakeholders about our fabric sourcing, as may be required.

● Fabric assurance: We preferentially source fabrics from companies who have third party testing, audit and compliance for their fabrics. To further ensure our own fabric safety and quality, we partner with world-leading testing and verification company, SGS, who strategically retest some of our proposed fabrics for chemicals of concern and physical properties. In certain cases and where required, we are able to further test our fabrics to provide further confidence for our key stakeholders, where timing and resources allow.

● Animal derived materials and animal welfare: We only reuse wool and leather materials from luxury and premium companies that have a strong commitment to sustainability. Wherever possible, we preferentially source animal-derived materials from companies that have suitable animal welfare codes of conduct in place. We do not reuse real fur, exotic skins or any species listed in CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in our own collections.

The R Collective’s manufacturing code of conduct:

We have built solid partnerships with our manufacturers who are specifically chosen for their commitment to sustainability and who hold themselves accountable to a way of doing business that is aligned with our brand values. Our manufacturers go above and beyond local laws and external codes of conduct to create a proactive culture of accountability and responsibility so that we formulate long-term systems to enhance the social and environmental aspects of the workplace.

● Freely chosen employment: Each of our manufacturers prohibits child labour, forced labour and prison labour. Workers are free to leave the employer after giving reasonable notice and are not required to lodge deposits or payment with their employers.

● Fair wages: We work with suppliers who provide fair and equal pay to the people who make our products. Every worker in our supply chain is paid a fair living wage in accordance with applicable laws or industry standards. The wages should be sufficient to meet the basic needs of the workers and provide some discretionary income.

● Empowerment: We believe in treating all employees with respect and dignity, preventing any form of harassment or abuse in the workplace. People are employed based on their ability and not on personal characteristics, race, colour, sexual orientation, nationality, political affiliation or beliefs. Our manufacturing partners take pride in nurturing the skills of every employee, providing training and the infrastructure to support their growth.

● Safe and healthy work environment: A healthy and productive work environment is of the utmost importance to ensure the health and safety of all of the workers. Each of our manufacturers must adhere to relevant national or international laws and standards in regards to health and safety and they should be reviewed on a regular basis for updates according to laws and standards.

● Modern Slavery: The R Collective considers any form of slavery or human trafficking to be abhorrent and we are committed to acting with integrity and appropriate transparency in our business dealings to safeguard against the risk of slavery or human trafficking.

● The environment: We only choose to work with rescued materials that deem no commercial value or as waste to the previous owners to reduce the overall reliance on virgin materials and the negative environmental impacts caused by cultivation and/or production processes. Our partnering manufacturers conduct all their operations in full compliance in accordance with the environmental laws and regulations in countries where they operate, including the use, recycling and disposal of resources, such as water, chemicals and waste.