Fashioning a Better Future
At Ted Baker we believe in being open and honest in the way we do business, this includes doing the right thing by all of our stakeholders throughout our supply chain and operating in a fair and sustainable manner.
Three very important areas of sustainability make up our global sustainability strategy; Fashioning a Better Future:
PLANET – Manage and reduce our impact on the environment.
- Own Operations
- Product Waste
- Packaging and Transport
PEOPLE - Look after those who create, make and wear our product.
- Ted’s Team
- Supply Chain
- Communities
PRODUCT - Produce beautiful, more sustainable product.
- Raw Materials
- Manufacturing
- Use & Durability
We set targets within each area to ensure steady progress is made. Knowing that many practises in the fashion industry are unsustainable we want to work with our supply chains to continually improve our processes.
People
We’re committed to looking after those who create, make and wear our products. From the supply chain and wider communities, to the team at Ted’s global headquarters, ambitious targets have been set to address working practice and ensure continuous improvement.
From creating opportunities to empowering people and communities across the world, fashion can be a force for good. For this, work, people and processes must be respected. Our business impacts the lives of thousands of people around the world, meaning we have to be proactive in our approach to advancing positive working conditions and protecting human rights.
Discrimination and exploitation can be common in the fashion industry, which is why all the factories and suppliers Ted works with go through a rigorous screening process. Once part of the team, Ted sets out to form lasting relationships with all his partners, which in turn encourages better working practices. All partners, new or old, must conduct annual social audits of their factories and processes, making sure continuous improvements are being made, standards are up to scratch and things are ticking over as they should. This falls under the responsibility of Ted’s Ethical Trade and Production teams, who regularly visit suppliers all over the world. Some partners have been onboard for over twenty years. Ted wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Ted’s Ethical Code of Conduct is the cornerstone of this commitment. It covers our principles for safe, fair and decent work and all locations must adhere to it.
You can read Ted’s Code here.
Transparency & Supply Chain Mapping
Ted believes certain things must be put in place in order to work towards positive change: transparency and honesty are two of them. With that in mind, we’ve set out to map our complex supply chain and have committed to making sure our processes, practices and ways of working are as transparent as they can be. This is an important step towards ensuring unethical practices, such as modern slavery, has less chance of rearing its head in the supply chain.
You can read Ted’s Modern Slavery Statement here.
From wallets to waistcoats, it’s important to know where Ted’s products are made, which is why we’ve partnered with Segura; an industry leading supply chain mapping platform. With their help, we can easily keep an eye on all Ted’s suppliers and make sure everyone is aligned with the same principles.
Facts about Ted’s Supply Chain
- Ted has over 150 first-tier factories in 17 different sourcing countries.
- 100% of our first-tier factories have agreed to the Code and have an ethical audit.
- Over 70,000 workers are employed in the first-tier of Ted’s supply chain.
- 72% of these workers are women.
Ted is committed to achieving greater supply chain transparency, which includes plans for mapping our raw materials too. For now, Ted’s put together a complete list of all first-tier factories, where our finished goods are made and shipped from. This includes factory names, addresses, as well as some additional information about the facilities. We see this as an important first step, with the second step being to continue mapping our second-tier facilities and beyond. This will include all the facilities and people that support our first-tier, such as subcontractors and mills.
A supply chain map will be ready for 2020. Until then, Ted’s provided a list of all information via the link. In the meantime, any queries and questions can be directed to ‘Ted’s Conscience’, his in-house sustainability team.
Click here to see Ted’s first-tier factory list.
Ted’s Ways of Working
The most important part of Ted’s supply chain are the people who work within it. It’s our responsibility to ensure all workers are respected and protected. Accordingly, we require all our partners and factories to agree to Ted’s standards on working conditions, business ethics, traceability, environmental stewardship and use of chemicals.
Ted’s Ethical Code of Conduct is based on international conventions such as the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO Core Conventions and more.
Ted’s Code of Conduct, ethical policies, annual audits as well as a rigorous screening process and supplier relationships, mean ethical challenges can be addressed and steps towards positive change can be made. This process minimises the risk of falling short of our own exacting expectations and standards. We work closely with our suppliers to continuously improve conditions, making sure that any issues are addressed by getting to the root cause.
Ted understands territory challenges in our sourcing countries and carries out due diligence when it comes regional issues. We have produced toolkits for engaging and informing our internal teams and help make business decisions too. These toolkits highlight worker related challenges and broader social issues that could impact our supply chain.
Here at Ted, we are very selective about the suppliers we work with and are committed to being open, constructive and transparent. We also expect this attitude from our suppliers so Ted’s supply chain and the wider fashion industry can continuously improve. It is our suppliers’ responsibility to enforce Ted’s ethical standards within their own supply chain, with Ted available for advice and support.
If a supplier is found to be in breach of Ted’s expectations, we’ll work with them to ensure appropriate solutions are found and implemented. Ted’s close relationships with his suppliers are key to how we operate. Being understanding and supportive to our suppliers gives us a better chance of ensuring that our products are created in facilities committed to providing fair and safe environments for their workers. We find our suppliers are more open to change when working in partnership with us.
Ted’s Communities
While much is being done to address poor practice across the global industry, Ted’s inspired by the positive and progressive changes being made closer to home.
As a business, we play an active role in the local community in a number of ways. We create and deliver education-focused challenges, masterclasses, talks and presentations to local partners and schools. We also nurture local talent through mentoring, networking and workshops. Through this, we’ve been inspiring people to consider careers in the creative and business worlds, while providing work experience opportunities.
Through the imaginative use of terminal stock and the repurposing of equipment and technology for community use, we’ve aligned our commitment to sustainability with our work within the community.
One way of doing this was to team up with C4WS, to assist them in helping to rebuild the lives of homeless people. Since 2018, Ted’s donated tailor-made formalwear to the shelter for people to wear to job interviews. Ted’s proud of the small difference these clothes-drops have made so far.
Another of Ted’s highlights was the ‘Shirtfather’ design workshop with New River College; a consortium of three Pupil Referral Units. For this initiative, students were asked to create products and garments using Ted fabrics, with the best designs getting hand-picked to go in to production. The pupils then visited the head office to present their creations to Ted’s Production Director.
Ted’s also especially proud of the work done with Camden STEAM. This collaboration involved local council, schools and youth organisations connecting with businesses and cultural organisations to create opportunities for young people. Ted hosted a 5-day Business Challenge for students, tasking them to choose an inspirational theme and design a pair of trainers. They then pitched to a panel of Ted’s trusty experts, with the winning team now working with our footwear designers to have their shoes made.
Whether half way across the globe or a little closer to home, Ted pledges to take care of the people at the very core of his community.
Planet
Here at Ted, we have a responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. As well as being resource intensive, the nature of our business causes quite the global footprint. This means change begins with how we use our recourses.
Single-use packaging, fast fashion and wastefulness has left its mark on the planet. Looking at more sustainable alternatives to the materials in our collections is one way we can address this. We are beginning to address other impacts too, with efforts being made to reduce our carbon and waste footprints.
Own Operations and Climate Strategy
With the help of Carbon Credentials, we’ve been developing our climate strategy, focusing on areas we have direct influence over. Roughly 30% of our carbon emissions come not from the manufacturing of our collections, but the operating and running of our stores, headquarters, warehouses and transport. We realise this is a significant percentage, so we’re working towards bringing the impact of that percentage right down.
A key part of any Climate Strategy is data, so we’re ramping up our efforts to collect accurate data from all sources. Once collated, we’ll be able to go about making what we do even more efficient.
Science Based Targets (SBTs)
Ted has committed to setting Science Based Targets, putting in place greenhouse gas emission reduction targets that align with climate science and the Paris Climate Agreement.
To give some context, The Paris Climate Agreement was signed by 195 of the world’s governments to try and limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. SBTs give companies a clearly defined path to future-proof growth, mainly by specifying how much and how quickly they need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
CDP
Since 2010, we’ve been reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The CDP is a not-for-profit organisation that runs a carbon disclosure system for companies (and even cities), to help manage their environmental impacts. By reporting to the CDP, we are able to focus on areas of carbon risk within our business. To read our most recent CDP report click here and search for Ted Baker.
Product Waste
According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the UK is responsible for 350,000 tonnes of textile waste going to landfill every year. As well as this, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that less than 1% of clothing is recycled at the end of its lifespan. It’s fair to say fashion can be wasteful.
Donations to Charity
At Ted, we combat product waste in many ways. To avoid contributing to the huge quantity of textiles sent to landfill each year in the UK, we donate our terminal stock to reputable charities. Two of our key charity partners are Oxfam and Age UK, who sell our stock in their UK stores, raising money for their important work.
Oxfam
Oxfam believes we can live in a world without poverty. They save lives in disasters, help people build better lives for themselves and challenge the big issues that keep people poor. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/
Age UK
Age UK’s vision is for a world where everyone can love later life. They support older people in the UK, with the advice, companionship and support they need to make the most of later life. https://www.ageuk.org.uk
Newlife
For over six years, we’ve been donating our returned faulty products to Newlife; a charity based in Cannock that helps children with disabilities and terminal illness. https://newlifecharity.co.uk
We also work with multiple charities around the world to ensure that our terminal stock goes to good homes.
In 2018, our donations to Oxfam, Age UK and Newlife raised over £330,000 and diverted over 20 tonnes of waste from landfill.
Bees
In 2011, we learnt about the plight of the honey bee. Being a fan of the furry pollinators, Ted teamed up with Urban Beekeeping to install two hives on the roof of his London headquarters. We have been reaping the rewards ever since with successful honey crops every year.
Packaging
Part of Ted’s commitment to reducing our environmental impact is to take a look at our packaging. We’re working across the business and with licensed and strategic partners, to ensure that all packaging is recyclable or reusable. This takes time, but Ted’s been making positive changes already. So far, we’ve launched a full-scale redesign of our Ecommerce packaging, eliminating all laminated cardboard and making sure our carrier bags and Ecommerce boxes are fully recyclable.
The ribbon handles on our retail bags have also been replaced by a material that looks, and feels like rope; but are in fact made out of paper. Our Ecommerce boxes are reusable too, thanks to a clever reversible sleeve. Plastic windows on our packaging are being phased out, with apertures being left uncovered to display the product inside. Increasingly, we are looking to manufacture in the UK and EU, meaning our carbon footprint will also be reduced.
Canopy Packaging
At Ted we recognize our huge reliance on wood-based products; from our paper based packaging and shipping cartons to our viscose and lyocell fabrics. These are all made from wood! Because of this we’re partnering with the non-profit organisation Canopy and committing to two important policies, Pack4Good and CanopyStyle, to make sure we eliminate sourcing from ancient and endangered forests while promoting innovative packaging and materials alternatives. You can read our full policy here.
Product
Here at Ted, we’re committed to producing beautiful clothing whilst reducing our environmental impact. High on the list of Ted’s priorities is finding ways to reduce our carbon, water and waste footprint. Fibre and fabric selection and the way we use materials has a huge role to play. Accordingly, we’ve set some ambitious targets to set us on the path towards continuous improvement in the years to come.
RAW MATERIALS
Amongst the ambitious targets set for the years ahead, Ted Baker pledges to ensure 100% of our collections will be made from more sustainable materials by 2030. But what do we mean by more sustainable? Well that’s a tricky one, but we’re glad you asked. Given the often wasteful and resource-intensive nature of the fashion industry, being ‘totally sustainable’ is not yet possible.
Instead, we use the term more sustainable. This means finding a fibre or material which has a reduced environmental impact and using it to replace a more conventional material or process. In choosing alternative materials and processes, Ted has set out to use less water, less energy and fewer chemicals and resources. One important thing to note is that all sustainability claims need to be backed up with certification. This is currently the only way to prove something is truly more sustainable.
To reach our target, we’ve identified the materials we hope to replace with more sustainable alternatives. This is an ongoing discussion, with these commitments and targets being helped along by life cycle-assessment data and reports.
Some of Ted’s most used materials include cotton, wool, polyester, leather and regenerated cellulosics – a fancy name for fibres like viscose and lyocell. To meet our targets, we’ve set our sights on sourcing leather from Leather Working Group (LWG) certified tanneries and switching our cotton to organic, recycled or Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton. We also pledge to source recycled polyester as well as organic, recycled or responsible wool. But what does it all mean? The following section should help with that.
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
The aim of BCI is to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment and better for the future of the cotton industry. Through education and training, farmers learn more about sustainable production methods, helping them to reduce their environmental impact, use less water and fewer harmful pesticides, and increase their yields and profits.
Better Cotton is not physically traceable to the end product. However, BCI Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those we source.
Organic Cotton
Unlike conventional cotton, the organic cotton farming process does not use synthetic pesticides, insecticides or fertilisers. The crops are predominantly rain fed too, which means the negative environmental impacts of growing cotton are minimised.
Recycled Cotton
Recycled cotton can either be sourced from pre-consumer or post-consumer textile waste. By using recycled cotton, we’re able to eliminate the farming, harvesting and ginning processes. In turn, this helps to reduce the use of raw materials, water, chemicals and energy.
Alternatives to Conventional Regenerated Cellulosics (Viscose & Lyocell)
Conventional viscose and lyocell are made with wood pulp, which has been linked to deforestation. The pulp is treated with solvents and therefore has associations with chemical pollution. By choosing alternative fibres sourced from sustainably managed forests (e.g. FSC certified) and processed in more sustainable way, these impacts can be reduced and eliminated.
Recycled Polyester and Polyamide (Nylon)
Virgin polyester and polyamide are made from crude oil. Large amounts of energy and water are required to convert it into a fibre. By using recycled alternatives, the raw materials and energy needed to produce the fibre are reduced.
Leather Working Group (LWG) Tanneries
LWG is a multi-stakeholder group working towards promoting more sustainable practices within the leather industry. This involves working with tanneries to improve their chemical usage, water treatment and the traceability of hides they use. Ted aims to only source leather from LWG certified tanneries by 2025.
Organic Wool
Wool can be certified as organic if the sheep are farmed in humane conditions and not exposed to synthetic chemicals. With organic wool, the process of turning fleece into yarn uses fewer chemicals than conventional wool, meaning the overall environmental impact is decreased.
Recycled Wool
Wool production requires land for grazing sheep, as well as energy, water and chemicals to convert the wool into a finished and useable fibre. By using pre-consumer or post-consumer wool waste, we can eliminate these processes and minimise the environmental impact along the way.
Some of Ted’s targets for the next few years include making sure:
• 100% of our cotton is organic, recycled or BCI Cotton by 2024.
• 100% of our leather is to come from LWG or equivalent certified tanneries by 2025.
• 100% of our regenerated cellulosics will come from FSC or PEFC Certified forests, with a further 50% produced through sustainable production methods by 2025.
As the industry evolves, we will continuously review these targets to make sure they stay as ambitious as can be.
To keep things on track, Ted’s signed up to be a member of SCAP, BCI and the Textile Exchange. Since 2012, Ted has been a signatory of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) and is part of an industry-wide initiative to bring about positive change within the sector. Together, with over seventy UK based fashion brands, Ted is working to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprint of clothing sold in the UK. The most significant impact we can make on our footprint, as outlined above, is through choosing more sustainable fibres.
Read about the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan here:
Manufacturing
Ted knows that the responsibility doesn’t stop with the raw materials that make our products; it extends into the manufacturing processes too. We keep a close eye on how our products are processed, which includes things like dying, printing, tanning and washing. Rethinking our manufacturing processes can also help reduce our carbon, water and chemical impact.
One way we do this is by using digital printing instead of other methods of printing. Digital printing creates beautifully vivid images and use less water and ink to do so.
Use and Durability: Taking Care of Ted
Fashion, even high-end fashion, has an increasingly short shelf-life these days. With more seasons than ever before, there’s a growing pressure to keep up with the latest trends and collections. But Ted’s wares are built to last.
We believe your clothes should be enjoyed for as long as possible. Which is why Ted’s put together a product care toolkit to help prolong the lifespan of your wardrobe. This will help protect valuable resources and even save you some money along the way.
We call it ‘Taking Care of Ted, and you can read it here.
Modern Slavery Statement
Ted believes certain things must be put in place in order to work towards positive change: transprancey and honesty are two of them. With that in mind, we've set out to map our complex supply chain and have committed to making sure our processes, practices and ways of working are as transparent as they can be. This is an important step towards ensuring unethical practices, such as modern slavery, has less chance of rearing its head in the supply chain.
You can read Ted's Modern Slavery Statement here.
Gender Pay Report
Here at Ted, we’re passionate about having a company as diverse as our customer base. Our team members represent more than 68 nationalities worldwide, with 44 in our London HQ alone.
In terms of gender diversity, we’ve made a number of significant female senior appointment in the past year, but while women are well represented at the very top and in our overall workforce, there’s more work to be done to develop and grow female senior leaders from within.
When it comes to gender pay, we’ll be completely upfront; there’s an imbalance. We still have a gap between average male and female earnings but we’re taking steps to reduce that - ultimately our aim is to eliminate the gap altogether.
On 24th March 2020, the Equalities Commission said that gender pay reporting was not compulsory and only around 50% of organisation have shared theirs. At Ted, gender parity matters, and we’re absolutely committed to making progress in a meaningful and practical way. That’s why we’re now sharing our Gender Pay Report with the snapshot date of 5th April 2019 so you can see where we’re at and what action we’re taking.
Banned & Restricted Materials
Banned Materials
There are some materials that we simply won’t use. By this, we mean a list of banned materials including those that are not sourced or used under any circumstance, in any of our products. All our Suppliers must comply with the banning of these materials.
Uzbek and Turkmen Cotton
Ted insists that no cotton sourced from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan finds its way into his products. This is because of documented reports of industry-wide, systematic human rights violations, including the use of child labour and forced labour in the harvesting of cotton. No ifs, ands, or buts: Ted does not, and will not, tolerate these practices.
Angora & Mohair
Ted doesn’t use angora or mohair in any of his collections. This is due to the unethical treatment of angora rabbits and mohair goats on some farms.
Fur
Due to issues concerning animal husbandry and fur extraction, it’s difficult to guarantee that animals raised on fur farms are ethically treated. Because of this, Ted does not use real fur in any of his collections.
Endangered Species
In accordance with the CITIES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) list, Ted prohibits the use of materials from endangered species.
Down and Feathers
Due to multiple reports of unethical treatment of birds, Ted is in the process of phasing out all use of down and feathers. Until this has been phased out completely, we insist that all our down has Responsible Down Standard Certification.
Restricted Materials
Ted’s restricted materials list is comprised of materials that will only be used if they reach a certain ethical standard.
Leather and Hair on Hide
No animals will ever be slaughtered solely for use on a Ted product. All skins on our products, for example, must be by-products of the meat industry. Ted does not use any skins from animals that have been boiled or skinned alive. As well as this, we do not use Karakul, Slink or other leathers that are from unborn animals.
Wool
Sheep used for the production of wool are susceptible to a parasitic infection called fly strike. A common but unethical remedy for this is ‘mulesing’, which involves removing strips of wool-bearing skin from the rear of the sheep. Ted is working with Suppliers to phase out wool from mulesed sheep within all collections.
Cashmere
Cashmere production has its ties to unregulated animal welfare standards and land degradation. We continue to work hard to ensure all our cashmere is eventually traceable, with increased visibility leading to better working practises.
Conflict Minerals
Tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold, collectively known as 3TG, are major drivers of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries. Because of this, Ted does not tolerate the use of 3TG materials sourced from these regions.
Beauty
Our policy is that we do not test on animals.