Sustainability

19.01.2022
At JBS Textile Group transparency, openness, and orderliness in the way we do things are key elements of our approach to responsible production of textiles. Through our commitment to sustainability, we believe that we can be a driving force in setting new standards for how clothing is made – across the entire value chain. This also include the procurement of our raw materials, fabrics and our paper, paperboard and packaging.

Protecting Ancient and Endangered Forests is an essential part of protecting the world’s limited forest resource and wildlife. Forests are capturing large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, provide habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, protect soil erosion, and are thereby a major contributor to reducing climate change.

We have partnered with the CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives, to ensure that our fabrics and packaging don’t come at the expense of the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests. Through these partnerships, we want to be forward-thinking and shift to smarter, eco-friendly alternatives to forest products.
– Read our policy –

JBS Sustainability

For more than 80 years, we have been producing underwear – always with a quality-first mindset.
Great quality and long-lasting products that has to be replaced less frequently, means less waste, less energy consumption and less pollution, and are therefore the more sustainable choice.
For us, quality is not just about great craftmanship. It is much more than that. A quality product must be long-lasting, it must be comfortable to wear, it must be made with the best and most sustainable materials possible, it must be made with respect for people and the environment, and it must be made without the use of toxic chemicals. That is the quality-first mindset of JBS.

It is a fact that the textile industry, of which we are a part, has a negative effect on the environment and has serious issues regarding human – and labour rights. JBS want to become part of the solution to change the industry. We are aware of the enormous task that lie ahead, but we have embarked on the journey, and we are confident that we will reach the goal, in close cooperation with the partners in our supply chain, and the industry as a whole.

Supply Chain

Transparency

To ensure that our products are produced in a responsible way, it is essential that we know where and on which factories, our products are made. This is often more difficult than it sounds, as the textile supply chain is very complex, and information about production is not always easily accessed – at least not when you go beyond tier 1.

As of today, we have mapped all our tier 1 suppliers, that we are currently doing business with. In many cases, we have mapped the whole supply chain – from fiber to finished product.We are constantly trying to go further, to ensure that we know as much about our supply chain as possible. We are working with a wide range of suppliers located in different areas of the world

Responsible Production

How we work with our suppliers

In recent years, we have been changing the way we work with suppliers. To be able to work more intensively with key suppliers, we have made a significant reduction in the number of supply chain partners.This initiative enables us to create collaborative business relationships, in which we to a greater extent can influence and support each other to make high-quality products in a more responsible way.

We seek to keep a proactive approach to our work with suppliers and factories. JBS has been a member of the amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) since January 2010. Since then, we have continuously intensified the way we work proactively with the BSCI as a tool for monitoring and tracking progression regarding various social issues, that are presented in the textile supply chain. This enables us to work actively together with the factories and our business partners, with the main goal of driving improvements across our supply chain in regard to important factors like working hours, wages, health and safety, etc.

All factories we are working with are audited through third-party companies based on 13 comprehensive principles, described in detail in the BSCI Code of Conduct. The BSCI Code of Conduct is based on international labour standards such as International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Any findings in regard to the above, will be dealt with through constructive dialogue and remediation plans, to protect the jobs and wellbeing of the workers. Stopping a business relationship with a supplier will always be the last instance, after we have done everything to solve the issue together.

Furthermore, JBS does not allow animal to be harmed in the name of fashion. Animals must not be exposed to pain but treated with dignity and respect according to animal welfare laws and international recommendations. All our suppliers have signed our animal welfare policy.

Our own factory

Lithuania

Besides our portfolio of external factories, we also own two factories ourselves; one producing underwear, and one producing socks. The factories are located in Lithuania, they have a long history, and employs more than 200 highly skilled workers. The two factories are audited through BSCI, from which they have both recieved A-ratings – the highest achievable rating. Our underwear factory is also GOTS and FSC-certified, which underlines the high standard we try to maintain. The GOTS-certification ensure, that the factory is managed responsibly, securing good conditions for the workers, and a less harmful production in regard to environmental issues throughout the whole supply chain.

Our Certifications

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is one of the world’s best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances. If a textile product carries the SANDARD 100 label, you can be certain that every component of the product has been tested in regard to strict requirements, that in many cases goes beyond what is required by national and international law.
We have our own Oeko-Tex certification covering most of our products. This way we can ensure, that our products do not contain harmful substances.

License no. 210366

GOTS is a stringent voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest processing (including spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing and manufacturing) of apparel and home textiles made with certified organic fiber (such as organic cotton and organic wool), and includes both environmental and social criteria. Key provisions include a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), highly hazardous chemicals (such as azo dyes and formaldehyde), and child labour, while requiring strong social compliance management systems and strict wastewater treatment practices.

GOTS at JBS
We are certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Our office and warehouse in Denmark have been assessed and approved by GOTS. This enables us to buy and sell GOTS-certified products both B2B and B2C. Furthermore, our underwear factory in Lithuania has also been GOTS-certified, enabling us to produce high quality textile products in a responsible way.

License Code: FSC-C160308

What is FSC?
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests.
In an FSC-certified forest, no more trees are felled than the forest can manage to reproduce itself, and animals and plant life are protected. Furthermore, FSC guarantees that the people that work in the forests are ensured training, safety equipment, decent wages, and the right to join or form trade unions.

FSC at JBS
We are a member of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and we are also certified by FSC to produce and sell FSC-certified bamboo textile products. Our office and warehouse in Denmark have been assessed and approved by FSC. Furthermore, our underwear factory in Lithuania has also been FSC-certified, enabling us to produce high quality textile products from FSC certified Bamboo Viscose.