How Businesses Participate

There are three distinct ways that businesses and other organisations can participate in Ethical Clothing Australia’s initiatives. They are:

• By gaining accreditation and using the Ethical Clothing Australia trademark
• By becoming a retail signatory
• By signing the procurement code of practice

Gaining accreditation and using the Ethical Clothing Australia trademark

Textile, clothing and footwear businesses manufacturing in Australia can apply for accreditation with Ethical Clothing Australia to be licensed to display the Ethical Clothing Australia trademark on their Australian-made products.

Becoming accredited is the most significant and meaningful action a business can take with Ethical Clothing Australia. Accreditation is a thorough process of taking practical steps to ‘map’ the brand’s supply chain and keep it transparent for ongoing compliance checks performed by the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia.

The accreditation process provides businesses with a practical tool to help ensure they and any sub-contractors in the supply chain are compliant with relevant Award provisions and laws and that Australian workers involved in the production of their products receive at least the legal minimum rates of pay and conditions.

For full listings of accredited brands and manufacturers that are licensed to use the Ethical Clothing Australia trademark, see the Accredited Brands page of this website.

Please note only businesses that have successfully completed the accreditation process are listed on this website. Businesses that have simply ‘registered’ with Ethical Clothing Australia, but are not yet licensed to display the trademark, are still in the process of achieving or verifying compliance with the relevant standards and conditions.

Becoming a retail signatory

Retailers can also participate in efforts to support an ethical Australian textile, clothing and footwear industry by becoming a retail signatory to the National Retailers Ethical Clothing Code which is administered by Ethical Clothing Australia, the Australian Retailers Association and the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia.

Retail signatories do not undergo the same rigorous process as accredited brands, but their positive contribution is welcomed as they play a key role in efforts to ensure transparency in the industry.

Retail signatories are required to provide details twice a year of their Australian textile, clothing and footwear suppliers and ensure they are complying with the relevant Award provisions and laws. In providing the details of their suppliers, retail signatories are committing to take appropriate action if they are provided with evidence from the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia that any of their suppliers are not meeting their legal obligations.

For full listings see the Retail Signatories page of this website.

It is important to note that although you may see the Ethical Clothing Australia trademark in shop windows, retail signatories are not licensed to use the trademark in their own right. Only when a retail signatory stocks Australian-made products from an accredited brand, is the retailer permitted to use the trademark in stores or on certain promotional materials. This is to indicate that accredited products are available in the store, but is not a blanket endorsement of the retailer or all of the products available in-store.

Signing the Procurement Code of Practice

Many corporations and organisations, whilst not being clothing businesses, are responsible for the production of various clothing products. For example, businesses such as banks and airlines nearly always have specific staff uniforms, and sporting clubs create sportswear and promotional merchandise specific to their teams. Such organisations can play an important role in supporting local and ethical manufacturing by signing up to Ethical Clothing Australia’s Procurement Code of Practice (previously known as Part 3 of the Homeworkers Code of Practice). This works in a similar manner to the retail signatory system.

For a listing of corporations and organisations that have signed, see the Procurement Code of Practice page of this website.