WE ARE READY FOR CHANGE
Change takes time and as a company we are on a journey to becoming better at reducing the footprint we leave behind. We’re proud of producing beautiful high quality designs and recognise the importance of the role we play as a company in the apparel industry. We’re pushing to move our business into a more sustainable direction and be fully responsible for how we manufacture our products to further protect our environment. We are looking at all areas of the business and taking the appropriate steps – from reducing carbon footprint, reviewing our source-to-store cycle to consciously implementing positive change – we are ready for real transformation. Action over intent. It’s an ongoing effort of measuring, improving, sharing, and learning throughout the process towards being more sustainable with many different steps – some small, some major.

COLLABORATIVE RESPONSIBILITY
We only work with partners who respect human rights. They are committed to being good employers, with workers’ rights, good pay and conditions, compliant with European labor standards after factory audits. It’s a partnership of mutual respect and trust. We work very closely and visit the factories often. These are Italian factories and people we align with professionally and ethically. Equally important are the humane treatment of animals. We are working towards a cycle in which our calf leathers are 100% traceable to its EU based source, producers who work with proper standards of environmental management system, covering standards, procedures and inspections regarding limitations on the use of certain hazardous substances in accordance with local and international environmental safety requirements.

OUR LEATHERS
We use hides that derive from the food industry as a by-product of dairy and meat production only. Our calf leather is of Italian and French origin. It complies with EU regulations, meeting the strict environmental guidelines in the industry for every aspect of the production process. The leather-making process has two stages – the leather tanning and the coloring process. The tanned leather comes from a Leather Working Group (LWG) certified partner, an international organization that is an advocate for sustainable and conscious practices within the leather industry. We are currently working closely with our leather coloring partner to be LWG certified by 2021. All our leather is EU reach compliant (REACH) and we never use exotic leather.

QUALITY 
Our products are made with the highest quality leathers and are true investment pieces. Sustainability for us means high quality, durable and long lasting items. The longer something lasts, the lesser the need there is to replace it – our products are made to be loved and inherited. To ensure our products stand the test of time, we actively provide first-rate customer service, reviewing customer feedback to reduce and prevent future defects. Our customers are closest to any problems there may be with our designs, so we go to them first as we value their opinions, experience and honest feedback. Our complaint returns are substantially low as a result with a 0.8% repair rate.

MINIMUM LEATHER PRODUCT WASTE
We believe in minimum waste, which is why our off-cuts (small pieces leathers) go into the production of manufacturing small leather goods.

Starting this year, we are collecting and saving remnant scraps from production and donating it to creative purposes. We reuse deadstock of previous seasons and remanufacture it for our smaller leather items. Cancelled and unsold items are resold.

PACKAGING
We are continuously improving our waste management in our factories, e-commerce and head office. Wandler favors FSC-certified materials, an ecolabel that guarantees sustainable forest management, the protection of biodiversity and the preservation of the rights of indigenous people. To reduce the use of single-use plastics, we have implemented 80% recycled plastic mailers for our online orders. Our dust bags are made of organic cotton and our boxes are made out of FSC certified paper.

TREE SISTERS
We partnered with TreeSisters in order to give back to the world in ways that restore the global forest. TreeSisters is a non-profit organization that works together with reforestation organizations who support multiple levels of both human and ecological healing. These organizations fund the planting of trees to restore ecosystems and livelihoods, whilst increasing protection against the extremes of climate change in multiple regions of the tropical forest belt. Together with TreeSisters they recreate and restore natural forest ecosystems using indigenous species, foresting local knowledge and skills while focusing on women’s participation and redressing gender equality at the same time. Their goal is to plant as many trees as possible, but also recognize the need to support a wide variety of projects, to have as great an impact as possible in as many ecosystems as they can.

Through our partnership with TreeSisters, a tree will be planted for every €100 spend on our webshop. Our signature Hortensia Medium bag will result in 7 trees planted! Our customers will help us contribute to the reforestation of our planet. All proceeds will fund the planting of tropical trees, sequestering carbon and directly help replenish the world’s forests.

WORKPLACE
People are the heart of our operations; only with a committed and competent team are we able to stay the progressive and creative business we aim to become. We believe we can achieve this by providing an inspiring and safe workplace for our employees. We encourage an open communication policy. To support a healthy environment, we provide ergonomic workplaces, including stability balls, weekly team exercise classes and serve nutritious organic vegetarian lunches.

GOALS
Our ambition is for our products and business operations to aim for minimum waste, minimum carbon emissions, zero hazardous chemicals, and for our products to be as circular as possible. We’re not sure when we will get there, but we’re committed to driving progress, evolving our approach and believe in the actions we are currently and will be taking, to move our business and the fashion industry towards a more innovative and responsible future.

What drives us is the opportunity to create a truly lasting impact. We will work hard to accomplish our goals with the same optimism that has helped us grow.

Wandler is committed to promoting ethical and sustainable practices in the fashion industry. We want to make our customers feel empowered and feel good, knowing that they have bought an honest product with a lasting legacy.