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 cannot be as good as we would like!
We take every comment, whether via email, Facebook or Instagram, very seriously and would therefore like to address a very important topic today - How can production in Asia be sustainable and what justifies the price of the 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:
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Factories that process PET bottles into chips for polyester production
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Factories that produce continuous functional fibers from polyester chips
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Factories that spin these fibers into yarn
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Factories that make fabrics from these yarns
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Dyeing works that dye according to the latest ecological standards, with minimal use of water or water treatment systems, coat the fabric webs with high-tech membranes and provide them with eco-impregnation using immense spray systems.
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Factories that produce non-toxic yet waterproof zippers and trimmings, using water treatment plants and recovering chemicals.
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Factories that produce fleece from recycled plastic bottles.
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Factories that have state-of-the-art cutting equipment to save waste, machines that can tape seams, and skilled personnel that can implement highly complicated processing for mass 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, then all the other ingredients have to come from China again.
My aspiration as a mother, as a textile artist and as a person is to make a contribution 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 can find detailed information about the research results of Resyntex.
The fabrics for our snow suits are currently Bluesign certified, which means, among other things, that the waste water from production is strictly controlled and certain chemicals have to be completely avoided during production.
Incidentally, we were one of the first to use a PFC-free, waterproof zipper for our snowsuits.
Our insulation is made from 100% recycled 2nd hand plastic bottles. This is controlled 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. As you can see, many factors always have to be weighed up with and against each other.
I am most proud of my factory near Shanghai. The workers all come from the country, because in the meantime you earn a lot more money in the city. You are curious, always enjoy new designs and ideas, live a healthy life and are very humble. General income in China has risen sharply in the last 10 years. In our factories, too, wages must be raised, and investments must be made in occupational safety and social security for the workers.
That and the fact that China is no longer considered a developing country is the reason why many European companies now prefer to have their products manufactured 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.
Incidentally, 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 the cities, so that measures have been taken by the state, for which we will 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 were created again in this country and infrastructures were established. But for this we need political support at various levels.
When the time comes, the question would remain as to what 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.
With this in mind, with open regards,
your Antje