Manufacturing Fair Trade T-shirts requires certification through the FLO.
Purchasing items that are labeled Fair Trade is becoming increasingly popular in the United States and throughout the world. In order to claim a product is Fair Trade, it needs to meet certain manufacturing requirements including fair pricing, safe labor conditions and environmental sustainability. Certification is approved through the international Fairtrade Labeling Organization or FLO. The FLO keeps a Fair Trade register of all certified producers of Fair Trade products and continuously monitors the progress of each company.
Instructions
1. Develop a business plan for your t-shirt business. Decide if you will actually be manufacturing the T-shirts themselves or only distributing them. Choose the amount of shirts you would like to produce monthly and devise a sound marketing plan, ensuring you've accounted for the location for production, type of material and shipping costs.
2. Review and research Fair Trade certification standards and what that entails for individual manufacturers. Each country of origin will have different requirements as Fair Trade certification includes the right for workers to unionize, receive equal or higher pay than regional salaries and to follow established health and safety measures.
3. Find a T-shirt manufacturer willing to produce the shirts if you do not have a facility to make them yourself. Discuss costs, material, time frames and amount of T-shirts you would like manufactured.
4. Check to see if the manufacturer you have chosen is already certified with the Fairtrade Labeling Organization and on the Fair Trade Register.
5. Apply to be listed on the Fair Trade Register if the manufacturer is not already included. This process will be lengthy and includes review by the FLO of all labor practices, wages, country of origin (as regional standards vary) and inspection of the facilities to make sure Fair Trade criteria are met.
Tags: Fair Trade, country origin, Fair Trade certification, Fair Trade Register, Fairtrade Labeling