Monki Values
Monki is a way of doing business as well as a way of doing fashion and living life. Our clothes, our stores, the way we talk and listen, and the way we grow - it's all based on a few things that we really care about. We’re convinced that we can create clothing collections that enable our customers to express their personality and at the same time care about our planet and our co-workers.
We care about the people we work with
An important part of our CSR work is to ensure decent working standards and conditions for the employees of our suppliers. All our suppliers must comply with our Code of Conduct, which is based on the International Labour Organisation’s conventions on working conditions and rights at work, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our code of conduct includes:
- No child labour
- No forced, bonded or prison labour
- No discrimination
- No excessive overtime
- Payment of at least the minimum wage (a wage someone can live on)
- Safe and healthy working conditions
- A legally binding employment contract
- Environmental responsibility
- Freedom of association (for example, to join a worker's union)
The code also includes limits and auditing of certain chemicals.
Organisation
While everyone who works for Monki, from the store staff to the COO, shares the responsibility for our ethical work, we also have a sustainability coordinator who works exclusively with questions of working conditions, sustainability and community support. Care for the environment, use of chemicals and product safety are also part of this work. We also partner with other organisations in order to share our experience and improve conditions and the environment. Here are some of the organisations we work with:
We care about our planet
As part of the textile and fashion industry, we strive for a broad environmental and ethical approach to business. We understand that this is important to our customers, and we aim to be open and transparent about what we achieve. We are gradually and continually introducing materials and processes that are better for the environment. Here are a few examples of our commitments in this area:
- We aim to use only cotton from sustainable sources by 2020.
- Our requirements regarding the use of chemicals are stricter than the statutory codes.
- We are committed to only using materials which have been produced using soil that is not needed for food production. Food comes first!
- We aim to use recycled materials wherever possible, so as to reduce reliance on finite and environmentally taxing sources of virgin material, and to reduce waste.
- We do not use PVC.
- We do not use rainforest products.
- We do not allow sandblasting of denim products, due to the process being hazardous to workers.
Animal welfare - we care about friends of all species
We don’t sell furs, and we won't sell merino wool, down or feathers unless we're certain they're cruelty-free. All our leather is a byproduct of the meat industry.