Sustainable fashion from Switzerland

At DillySocks, we firmly believe that each of us must take care of the environment. That we should all be careful with resources. And that we act as sustainably as possible in our actions as a fashion brand. We are convinced that sustainability must be pursued at various levels. Because that's the only way the world can continue to inspire us with its colors every day for a long time, and that's the only way every pair of DillySocks is a statement for a more colourful, fairer and more ecological world.

Introduction

• ESG factors
• DillySocks 4 sustainability pillars

Production

• Production in Europe
• Certifications (GOTS,
  Oekotex Standard 100)
  

Product & Innovation

• Our products, materials & quality
• Our plastic-free packaging
  

Engagement

• Social commitment
• Socks upcycling in integrative facilities

Organization, People & Culture

• Climate neutrality
• New work
  

Traditionally, sustainability in the (fashion) industry is measured in three components, the ESG factors . ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governmental - in short for environment, social affairs and corporate governance. The three components include different corporate and task areas, which ultimately determine the sustainability of a company based on certain criteria and key figures. In the fashion industry, these include production factors such as fair wages and occupational safety in the value chain, product-specific aspects such as the right choice of materials or a satisfactory product longevity. A conscious and reduced use of resources or social interaction also play an important role.

The ESG factors represent a fundamental framework against which we measure our values ​​as a sustainable company. In order to give the different ESG criteria an easy-to-understand framework, we will examine the triad of ESG in the following four areas of the company:

(1) Product & Innovation

(2) production

(3) Organisation, People & Culture

(4) Commitment

By the way. In our overview we do not skimp on details! For us, sustainability clearly goes hand in hand with transparency towards consumers. This not only involves emphasizing previous successes, but also dealing with our sometimes greatest challenges in sustainability management. So, let's go!

All Dilly socks are made with organic cotton. We love organic cotton and keep the cotton content in our socks as high as possible - usually between 70 and 85%. The natural fiber is a real power player: it is pleasantly soft to wear, is a renewable raw material and is biodegradable. Cotton (organic) is grown in accordance with the guidelines for organic farming. "Organic" means that nothing is grown on the cotton fields for certain periods of time to allow the field to recover. Our cotton is grown 100% without the use of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers and chemicals that are harmful to the environment. The water consumption of organic cotton is also much lower than that of conventionally grown cotton. Yeeha!

But we have to admit: Product properties that are important to us, such as durability, a good fit and an unusual design, cannot only be achieved with pure cotton. Our understanding of sustainable fashion also means that the socks are durable and comfortable. That's why we also rely on the valuable properties of polyamide and elastane for our socks. In order to keep the ecological footprint as small as possible, we have been continuously increasing the proportion of recycled polyamide compared to conventional polyamide for years. Some of our products (e.g. all our Premium Ribbed One Color Socks) are already made exclusively with recycled polyamide thread without sacrificing softness or comfort - a goal that we have not yet achieved for all socks, but will continue to expand in the future want.

We firmly believe: it's all in the mix. And ensures that our socks keep their promises for a long time. With our claim to guarantee the high quality and longevity of our socks through high-quality materials and an optimal material composition, our sustainability criteria do not only refer to the pure production and sales time. The useful life of the socks also plays an important role. A bill that works.

You can find more information about our quality standard here.

There is already enough plastic in the world. That is why we rely on biodegradable components for the packaging elements for products in our web shop. We print our labels on recycled paper. Whenever possible, our socks are shipped directly in the box and without any additional outer packaging. When more protection is needed, we have replaced standard plastic sleeves with polylactic acid pouches where possible. Polylactic acid is a renewable, easily compostable raw material that generates up to 60% less CO₂ emissions in the manufacturing process than conventional polybags. For our B2B area, together with Fluidsolid, we have developed a compostable hook for hanging up our goods, which consists exclusively of wood waste and enzymes and is biodegradable. We are optimizing our packaging materials step by step - and are proud of what we have already achieved.

Would you like to know more about our packaging?

Here you will find a detailed list of all our packaging materials.

Procurement (ie the purchase of the raw materials and the production of the products) is THE linchpin in the value chain in the fashion industry, which has a significant influence on the extent of sustainability. Many companies produce where they find the most favorable conditions - and this is often in countries where wages are very low and workers are exploited. We cannot support that. Our socks are produced in Portugal in medium-sized, family-run companies. It is no coincidence that we chose small companies in Portugal. On the one hand, the short delivery routes to us are a big plus from a purely climate-balance point of view. Companies in Portugal also build on a wealth of experience in the textile industry, which benefits the quality of the goods produced. In addition, the southern European country has higher living standards than other countries shaped by the textile industry. We attach great importance to fair working conditions throughout the production chain and work particularly closely with our producers. After all, there are always new ideas and collections to implement as great as possible!

By the way: In order to be able to meet our claim of sustainable production and fair working conditions, we only work with producers who meet the strict criteria of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). You can learn more about this in the next section.

Anyone can claim that they produce and work sustainably. That's why there are certifications. Because they are properly tested and you can rely on them. Find out more about our two certificates here: The Oeko-Tex® 100 Standard and GOTS.

All of our DillySocks have the Oeko-Tex® 100 standard certificate. The Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is a certification system that covers all stages of processing for textile products. In this way we can ensure that our DillySocks are free of harmful substances and represent an ecologically sensible product. For us, pollutant-free clothing is an indisputable basis for the production of sustainable fashion. Because it is not up for debate for us that anti-allergenic products can be worn by both adults and children without any worries. However, we must also critically say that although the certificate confirms that our Dilly socks are 100% free of harmful substances, it does not regulate the manufacturing conditions.

You can find more information about the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 here.

Because that is not enough for us, we have decided to generally only work with productions that meet the criteria of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). GOTS takes the entire production chain into account, bans many chemicals and sets minimum social standards. This makes GOTS one of the world's leading global standards for ecological textiles. The aim of the GOTS is to ensure sustainable production of textiles - across the entire production chain. DillySocks has been GOTS-certified since 2020. However, whether an individual product can be classified as GOTS-certified or not depends not only on the working conditions and production standards in the value chain and the quality of the materials, but also on the material composition. Not all of our products are currently GOTS-certified. But we are working on it! By the way, you can always see on our product detail pages whether an individual product is GOTS-certified or not.

You can find more details about GOTS, such as our current share of GOTS-certified products, here.

DillySocks is carbon neutral. Climate-neutral company, that means: we have recorded our greenhouse gas emissions, continuously reduce them and have offset the unavoidable emissions through climate protection projects: In the past we have already supported a social impact project in India and the clean drinking water project in Sierra Leone. We are currently offsetting our emissions by investing in wind and solar power projects in Chile and various locations in Africa.

You can find our detailed overview of climate neutrality here.

For particularly environmentally conscious customers, we also have a very special product up our sleeve: our climate box and our climate socks. In cooperation with the Swiss direct air capture pioneers from Climeworks, 1 kg of CO2 per pair and 10 kg of CO2 per box are filtered out of the atmosphere. The perfect gift idea for climate-conscious people. You can find out more here .

One point that has become increasingly important in recent years is New Work. What can we say - basic concepts anchored in the New Work principle such as work-life balance, independent work organization, flat hierarchies, decentralization, a high level of trust and remote working are part of our DillyDNA. Whether in Zurich in Switzerland, in Vienna, Berlin or Helsinki - DillySocks allows freedom and relies on the personal responsibility of all employees. The fact that there is great appreciation in the entire team not only helps the working atmosphere, but also our vision and our corporate goals. We are convinced of that.

Dilly's word of honor that we weren't forced to write these sentences, but really mean them. *peace sign*

It is not only in our supply chain and production that we aim to set high standards. We also want to take social responsibility and make the world more colorful through charitable projects. We regularly support social projects, directly and indirectly, for example through donations in kind, sponsorship or cooperation with social organizations. In recent years we have been able to support social organizations such as Caritas and sports clubs through sponsorships and donations.

We like to combine beauty with social issues - also in the context of socks. Over the years we have been able to set up some sock cooperations with other brands or associations that support charitable projects and make us very proud. Through a number of partnerships, including with the Paraplegic Foundation and Zurich Zoo, we were able to make a profit from the sale of our cooperation-specific motif socks and at the same time collect donations for social organizations.

No matter how carefully you plan a production, there are almost always pieces that get left behind. That's why we dealt with the topic of upcycling and asked ourselves the question: What else can socks be apart from foot warmers and accessories? After in-depth research into upcycling methods, we had the answer: We process our leftovers into cuddly sock monkeys that become loyal friends of many children.

Our Dilly Monkeys are made in Switzerland in various inclusive foundations led by our talented sewing partner Rebekka. So there is a lot of love in every sock monkey! They also contribute to social interaction in our society, which is particularly important to us.

You can find more information about our upcycling monkey socks here.