WE ARE VERTERE BERLIN.
WE SEE IT AS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT IN THE MOST SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-CONSCIOUS WAY WE POSSIBLY CAN. BUT WE DON’T MARKET OURSELVES AS A SUSTAINABLE BRAND BECAUSE, DRIVEN BY CONSUMPTION OF NEWLY PRODUCED PRODUCTS, THE FASHION INDUSTRY CAN NEVER BE TRULY SUSTAINABLE. WE ARE STRIVING TO BE BETTER EVERY DAY AND WITH EVERY COLLECTION BUT WE DO NOT CLAIM TO BE PERFECT. BELOW, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE THE INDUSTRY A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING INVOLVED.
WE ONLY RELEASE TWO MAIN COLLECTIONS EVERY YEAR THAT ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO DROPS. THEY ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED AND MADE UP OF PIECES WE LOVE, SUPPLEMENTED WITH LIMITED COLLABORATIONS THAT MEAN A LOT TO US. TO EXTEND THE LIFE CYCLE OF OUR PRODUCTS, WE PRODUCE OUR GARMENTS WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY, GIVING IT A LONG LIVING TIME. FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONAL COLLECTION CYCLE, WE DON'T EXCEED OUR SUPPLIERS CAPACITY AND SET UNREALISTIC DEADLINES WHICH WOULD PUT OUR PRODUCERS IN THE SITUATION TO IMPLEMENT UNETHICAL PRACTICES. WHEN WE FIRST COME OUT WITH A COLLECTION, WE PRODUCE IN SMALL BATCHES AND THEN ADJUST OUR PRODUCTS AVAILABILITY BASED ON DEMAND TO AVOID OVERSTOCK. IF A STYLE YOU WANT IS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT, CHANCES ARE IT WILL BE BACK IN STOCK SOON.
WHY WE USE ORGANIC COTTON .
COTTON IS ONE OF THE MOST USED RAW MATERIALS IN THE WORLD, BUT IT IS NOT PERFECT. COTTON FARMERS USE PESTICIDES TO PROTECT THEIR PLANTS FROM DAMAGES. HOWEVER, PESTICIDES ARE HIGHLY TOXIC FOR BOTH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PEOPLE ON THE FIELDS. THIS IS WHY WE USE ORGANIC COTTON WHEREVER POSSIBLE. ORGANIC COTTON FORBIDS PESTICIDES AND FARMERS USE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES INSTEAD. THIS IS MUCH SAFER FOR THE FARMERS AND COMPARED TO NON-ORGANIC COTTON, ORGANIC COTTON USES BOTH 91% LESS SURFACE & WATER, 62% LESS ENERGY AND PRODUCES 46% LESS GREENHOUSE GASES. ADDITIONALLY, IT INCREASES THE ABILITY OF THE SOIL TO ABSORB MORE CO2. TO ENSURE THAT POST-HARVESTING OUR COTTON CONTINUES TO BE PROCESSED ENVIRONMENTALLY AND HUMAN FRIENDLY, IT IS OCS OR OEKO-TEX 100 CERTIFIED. OVER 76% OF OUR SS23 COLLECTION IS MADE WITH ORGANIC COTTON.
WHY WE USE WOOL
OUR BEANIES ARE MADE OF VIRGIN WOOL. DUE TO THE LONG FIBRES OF THIS WOOL TYPE, THE BEANIES ARE OF HIGHER QUALITY AND LONGER LASTING. OUR WOOL COMES FROM SOUTH AMERICA AND OUR MERINO WOOL FROM AUSTRALIA. BOTH ARE PROCESSED IN ITALY UNDER OEKO-TEX CERTIFIED STANDARDS. THE BEANIES ARE KNIT IN NORTHERN GERMANY IN A ‘GOTS’ CERTIFIED FACTORY. THE ‘GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD’ IS A SEAL FOR FIBRES THAT MEASURES ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PRACTICES IN FACTORIES. OUR VIRGIN WOOL IS ALSO MULESING FREE.
WHY WE USE WATER-BASED INKS & RAYON EMBROIDERY YARN
WE USE WATER-BASED INKS FOR OUR SCREEN PRINTS. UNLIKE PLASTISOL, THE CONVENTIONAL PRINTING INK, IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY FOSSIL FUELS AND IS LESS ENERGY INTENSIVE RESULTING IN A SMALLER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THE HIGHER QUALITY INK ACTUALLY DYES THE FABRIC AND LEAVES IT STILL BREATHABLE AND WITH A SOFT FEEL. OUR DYES ARE OEKO-TEX CERTIFIED, MAKING THEM NON-TOXIC TO HUMANS OR THE ENVIRONMENT.
FOR OUR EMBROIDERY, WE USE RAYON YARN, A SYNTHETIC YARN MADE WITH NATURAL RESOURCES. INSTEAD OR THE REGULAR POLYESTER YARN. RAYON IS SKIN FRIENDLY AND HAS A SMALLER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAN FOSSIL-BASED ALTERNATIVES AND THE COLOURS COME OUT BRIGHTER AND SHINIER. OUR INKS AND EMBROIDERY YARN ARE BOTH BIODEGRADABLE GIVING IT ANOTHER BIG ADVANTAGE OVER FOSSIL FUELS.
CARE GUIDE
SUSTAINABILITY DOES NOT END WITH BUYING FROM SUSTAINABLE BRANDS. A LOT OF CO2 EMISSIONS IN THE PRODUCT CYCLE OF CLOTHING COME FROM HOW WE TREAT OUR CLOTHES. IF WE TAKE CARE OF THEM PROPERLY, IT IS VERY EASY TO MAKE THEM LAST LONG. MOST OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE MADE OUT OF COTTON AND DO NOT REQUIRE SPECIAL CLEANING METHODS. IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM NICE, AVOID WASHING THEM TOO OFTEN AND FOLLOW THE CARE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS TO KEEP THE COLOUR AND FIT.
WHERE WE PRODUCE OUR MANUFACTURING PARTNERS ARE LOCATED AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD BECAUSE WE SEE ADVANTAGES IN ALL OF OUR PRODUCTION LOCATIONS. AS THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD MANUFACTURERS EVERYWHERE, WHERE SOMETHING HAS BEEN PRODUCED DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY ENSURE THAT FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS WERE ENFORCED AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS SATISFIED. ON THE OTHER SIDE, COUNTRIES THAT HAVE COME UNDER SCRUTINY FOR THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS OVER RECENT YEARS.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENSURE FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES ALONG THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN. THIS IS WHY WE WORK WITH MANUFACTURERS THAT ARE CERTIFIED BY MULTIPLE DIFFERENT CERTIFICATIONS REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CRITERIA, ARE PURSUING FURTHER CERTIFICATIONS AND HAVE HIGH STANDARDS FOR THEIR OWN SUPPLIERS. HOWEVER, AS A SMALL BRAND AMIDS GIANTS, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND THE PERFECT FIT. TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY, REGULAR VISITATIONS AT OUR PRODUCERS FACILITIES AND STAYING IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEM HELPS US TO ENSURE THAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE BEING MET.
TÜRKIYE
CZECH REPUBLIC
CHINA
POLAND
PORTUGAL
1% OF OUR SS23 COLLECTION WAS MADE IN PORTUGAL
THERE, WE PRODUCE T-SHIRTS
ONE TREE PLANTED FOR EVERY ORDER
IN 2020, WE PARTNERED WITH THE ‘EDEN REFORESTATION ORGANIZATION’. TOGETHER WE COMBAT DEFORESTATION AND POVERTY BY PLANTING TREES AND WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS NEPAL, INDONESIA OR MOZAMBIQUE. FOR EVERY CUSTOMER ORDER, ONE TREE IS PLANTED. FOR A BETTER AND GREENER WORLD.
DONATIONS & REPURPOSING TEXTILE WASTE IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN FASHION. IN 2020 , 17 MILLION TONS OF CLOTHES ENDED UP IN LANDFILLS OR BURNED DESPITE BEING IN WEARABLE CONDITION. WE ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH UNSOLD STOCK AT THE END OF THE SEASON. INSTEAD OF THROWING CLOTHES AWAY, WE DONATE PART OF THEM TO CHARITY ORGANISATIONS TO GIVE TO PEOPLE IN NEED. WE ALSO WORK WITH SECOND HAND SHOPS THAT TAKE OUR OLD COLLECTIONS AND FIND NEW OWNERS FOR THEM.
AFTER YOU ARE DONE WITH ONE OF OUR PRODUCTS, CONSIDER HANDING IT DOWN TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER, SELLING IT OR DONATING IT TO A CHARITY THAT WORKS WITH SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY RATHER THAN JUST THROWING IT IN THE NEXT DONATION BIN. 87% OF DONATED TEXTILES ENDS UP ON LANDFILLS OR GET BURNED AND WE BELIEVE THAT OUR PRODUCTS AND THE PLANET DESERVE BETTER.
LAST YEAR WE DONATED WARM CLOTHES TO THE FUNDRAISER, ORGANISED BY HIGHSNOBIETY. ALL DONATIONS WERE DELIVERED TO UKRAINE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM THE ENERGY BLACKOUTS.
AS PART OF OUR SUMMER 2022 CAMPAIGN, WE DONATED 10% OF OUR PROFITS TO CHARITY WATER - A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION SUPPLYING PEOPLE IN MORE THAN 29 COUNTRIES WITH CLEAN AND DRINKABLE WATER.
LAST YEAR WE HOSTED A PARTY AT AEDEN CLUB AND DONATED PART OF THE PROCEEDS FOR HUMANITARIAN HELP IN UKRAINE.
GO GREEN TRANSPORTATION
WHEN YOU ORDER OUR PRODUCTS, YOU RECEIVE YOUR PARCEL VIA THE DHL GO GREEN PROGRAM. THIS MEANS THAT THE CO2 EMISSIONS OF THE TRANSPORT GET OFFSET BY DONATING TO PROJECTS THAT PROMOTE THE USAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. FURTHERMORE, OUR CLOTHES ARE PACKAGED IN BAGS MADE OUT OF RECYCLED PLASTIC.
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