SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR PRODUCTION: IS THAT POSSIBLE IN CHINA? READ IT YOURSELF...
Dear WeeDo fans and everyone who wants to become one,
your feedback is always very important to us.
Without your feedback on our products, we can't be as good as we'd like to be!
We take every comment, whether via email, Facebook or Instagram very seriously and therefore would like to address a very important topic today - How can production in Asia be sustainable and what justifies the price of WeeDo Funwear suits?
In the 1970s, European textile production was moved to Asia so that we could consume clothes more cheaply. So our entire textile know-how was transferred step by step to Asia. The infrastructure for German textile production has almost dried up to this day. There is no infrastructure in Europe for the sustainable production of functional clothing, ie sports clothing made from high-tech fibers. Look, here is a list of which factories are part of the infrastructure in the textile chain:
- Factories that process PET bottles in chips for polyester production
- Factories that manufacture continuous function fibers from polyester chips
- Factories that spin these fibers into yarn
- Factories that make fabrics from these yarns
- Dyeing factories that dye according to the latest eco standards, with minimal water use or water treatment systems, coat the fabric with high-tech membranes and provide them with eco-impregnation through immense spray systems
- Factories that produce non-toxic yet waterproof zippers and trimmings, using water treatment plants and recovering chemicals.
- Factories that manufacture nonwovens from recycled plastic bottles
- Factories that have state-of-the-art cutting systems to save waste, that have machines that can seal seams and that have the skilled personnel who can implement highly complex processing for series production
I was able to visit all these factories myself before the Corona Pandemic, before I could decide to make them our suppliers. Unfortunately, such factories do not exist in Europe. Our well-known German machine builders and engineers build the latest technologies directly in China, not in Germany.
And if we do find a suitable European manufacturer, all the other ingredients have to come from China.
My aspiration as a mother, as a textile worker and as a person is to contribute to a better world with my work.
My greatest wish would be to create new clothes from old clothes. Without the use of fossil raw materials. To manifest a textile cycle for synthetic fibers, so to speak.
That's why, as the founder of WeeDo, I've made it my mission to always be on the lookout for new technologies. There is still a long way to go before there is a cycle, but progress is already being made and we are not alone in our vision. Here you will find detailed information about the research results of Resyntex.
The fabrics for our snowsuits are currently Bluesign certified, which means, among other things, that the wastewater from production is strictly controlled and that certain chemicals have to be completely avoided during production.
By the way, we were one of the first to use a PFC-free, waterproof zip for our snowsuits.
Our insulation consists of 100% recycled 2nd hand plastic bottles. This is checked and certified (Global Recycle Standard).
Before I develop new products, I sift through stock items from overproduction. I incorporate these into my considerations for new designs.
Short distances between our factories are also important for a good ecological balance. You see, there are always many factors to be weighed against each other.
I am most proud of my factory near Shanghai. The workers all come from the countryside, because in the city you can now earn a lot more money. They are curious, always enjoy new designs and ideas, live healthy and are very humble. General income in China has increased significantly in the past 10 years. In our factories, for example, wages have to be increased, and occupational safety and social security must be invested in.
That and the fact that China no longer counts as a developing country is the reason why many European companies now prefer to have their products produced in Myanmar, Cambodia or Bangladesh.
And all the above factors make our products realistically priced.
If our products were manufactured in Europe, the price would be many times higher. Adjusted to our wages and salaries.
By the way, WeeDo's largest market is Asia itself.
China is the country that suffers the most from the consequences of foreign mass production. The daily smog affects life in cities, so that measures have been taken by the state that we probably have to wait a long time in this country.
For me, China is one of the most modern countries in the world. Also with regard to energy-efficient production possibilities.
Of course, I would be happy if know-how is created again in this country and infrastructures are established. But for that we need political support at different levels.
When the time came, the question would remain as to which ecological balance sheet we use to transport our products to our fans in Asia.
I'll keep you posted, and I hope my words will give the skeptics among you a different perspective.
The world is big but everything is connected.
In this sense, with open-minded greetings,
yours Antje
