Brandix textiles gets fair trade and organic certification

The Makandura plant of Brandix Textiles, Sri Lanka’s largest woven fabric processor, recently received the Fair Trade and Organic certifications from the Institute for Marketecology (IMO) of Switzerland.

The organic certification takes the company a step closer to buyers seeking to achieve environment compliance with the exacting Global Organic Textile Standard or GOTS, while compliance with IMO’s Social and Fairtrade Programme will open up new markets for its fabrics by providing consumers the option of purchasing products according to their principles and values, the company said.

The Social and Fair Trade Certificate guarantees that disadvantaged producers in the developing world in the entire supply chain get a better deal by covering the producers’ cost of sustainable production and establishing a Fairtrade Premium which is invested in social, economic or environmental improvement projects.

Brandix said that the GOTS certification that is the next step for the company is the definitive global certification for organic textiles and covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, export, import and distribution of all natural fibres.

The aim of the standard is to define requirements to ensure the organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.

“The Fair Trade and Organic certifications are an important development for Brandix Textiles,” Brandix Director Feroz Omar said. “They take the company to the next level in supplying very discerning niche customers and are also a valuable third party affirmation of the commitment of the company to good social practices.” Brandix Textiles’ Makandura Mill employs more than 800 people and produces about 3.5 million yards of woven fabric in some 400 constructions and weaves per month from fabric imported from Pakistan, Indonesia, India and China. About 40 per cent of its output is supplied to apparel manufacturing plants of the Brandix Group, while the rest is supplied to other apparel manufacturers and is also exported to Bangladesh and India.