Dansk Fashion & Textile

As pioneers in the field of outsourcing their production, the Danish clothing and textile industry has a considerable interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), therefore the professional organisation Dansk Fashion & Textile (Dansk F&T) is launching different CSR initiatives and hosting seminars.The activities are conducted with the purpose of easing the way for the companies of the sector to make their own contribution to CSR related projects and aid activities and gain insight hereto.
In 2008 Dansk Fashion & Textile joined the UN Global Compact (www.unglobalcompact.org) initiative, due to which Dansk F&T is committed to distribute and promote the visions hereof.

In addition Dansk F&T established the concept FashionAid that among a variety of activities has entered into cooperation with Danish Red Cross – who receive the donations of surplus and error productions of Danish fashion wear which has already within only 9 months collected a stunning figure of more than 12 ton clothes.
Our member companies regularly have exceeding parties of clothes on stock, due to surplus productions or as second quality selections – clothes that are not being sold and that are often destroyed, but which are perfectly usable although not commercial attractive.
This brings a unique opportunity to help Danish Red Cross in their activities and to save the environment as the clothes will come into full use instead of for example being destroyed.
All our member companies have to do is to fill in a form, and the Danish Red Cross will come and pick up the clothes. Each company is free to decide whether the clothes should be used as humanitarian aid or rather be sold through the shops of the Danish Red Cross.
With FashionAid we will strengthen and target common CSR activities in the business, creating the best possible synergies for the benefit of the people who receive our aid. At the same time, we are making it easier for the companies to join projects of charity, by a common, efficient effort. We know that many companies actually wish to participate but have difficulty in finding the necessary daily resources to do so. FashionAid can also be a supplement to the companies’ own CSR initiatives

Furthermore, Dansk F&T has created a FairFashion code of conduct (CoC) specifically tailored for the textile and clothing industry. The CoC are based on the UN Global Compact which is a both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices.
The purpose of this FairFashion CoC is to ensure an ethical and fair business of all parties, people and animals involved. We believe that a strong focus and continuous improvement of an ethical business and compliance to the principles below will ultimately benefit all parties and countries – both economically and socially. This code of conduct describes and sets out the ethical principles for the companies and all there suppliers. The general principles 1-10 are the UN Global Compact with our additional three principles concerning animals, charity and monitoring and evaluation.
Code of Conducts cannot do it alone. We believe firmly in the dialogue between our member companies and their suppliers and we recognize the cultural differences and difficulties of monitoring thousands of kilometres abroad in a highly complex productions line.

Furthermore, Dansk F&T is presently working on a project: Practical CSR, which aims to highlight and produce different ideas for CSR projects where among other things the costs, methods and effect appears. There is a lot of CSR theory but the practical usable measures and projects are still yet to be revealed to inspiration for other companies.
In addition, Dansk F&T has in co-operation with Save the children Denmark, Danish federation of small and medium-sized Enterprises and different CSR-minded Danish companies and their local partners in Bangladesh established: CSR Child Labour Project (partly funded by Danida). Children working are as a main rule driven by economic realities and the need to survive. If the companies refuse to hire children under 18 and adopt it as a part of their CoC’s, it can have great consequence for the children and their families, since they become abandoned from decent companies previously open to them. Instead, they are forced into hazardous work in the informal sector, street life or prostitution.
The CSR Child Labour Project is a completely new way of thinking developmental aid and partnerships between the NGO-world and the private sector with regard to education and vocational training for underprivileged children in developing countries. The project aims to improve the children between 14-18 years working condition and make sure they get a useful education to secure a future and developing career in the industry.

Above is mentioned some of the projects that Dansk F&T is involved in as additional to our seminars and workshops with external experts. You can find more information about Dansk F&T’s CSR-activities on the web site: www.danskmodeogtextil.dk

Head Office:
Birk Centerpark 38
P.O. 507
DK-7400 Herning

Copenhagen Office:
Vestergarde 2C – DK-1456 Copenhagen K
Email: mig@danskmodeotextile.dk (Mikkel Gudsoe)
hs@danskmodeotextil.dk
Denmark
+45 97 11 72 00
info@textile.dk
www.textile.dk