Printed in the United States
So the next question is where are these shirts manufactured? Let me tell you.
I have shirts currently from six different manufacturers. The process is different for each one, yet is similar because they are trying to do the correct thing.
First is Tultex, a North American company that starts with USA cotton and ends with a finished tee in the same facility.
Before I go to the final four, I need to explain WRAP and FLA.
WRAP stands for Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production. It is headquartered in Arlington VA. and has offices in Hong Kong and Bangladesh as well as other countries.
It is an independent, objective, non-profit team of global social compliance experts dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing around the world through certification and education.
They have 12 principles that each participating facility must adhere to. The Fair Labor Association (FLA) also has a code of conduct similar to the 12 principles of WRAP. According to their website...
The products we buy should not come at the cost of workers' rights. The Fair Labor Association believes that all goods should be produced fairly and ethically, and brings together three key constituencies - universities, civil society organizations (CSOs) and companies - to find sustainable solutions to systemic labor issues. Since 1999, FLA has helped improve workers' lives by:
-
Holding affiliated companies accountable for implementing FLA’s Code of Conduct across their supply chains.
-
Conducting external assessments so that consumers can be assured of the integrity of the products they buy.
-
Creating a space for CSOs to engage with companies and other stakeholders to find viable solutions to labor concerns.
So the last four manufacturers, Next Level, Bella and Canvas, Alternative and Anvil, all work under the WRAP and/or FLA. In addition to that, they all, to varying degrees, are trying to lower the ecological footprint they leave. From solar powered factories (Bella) to eco and organic fabrics.