Responsible Sourcing
Where a t-shirt comes from defines how it feels when you wear it. That’s why we work hard to provide apparel and accessories that you can be sure are made ethically and responsibly. To accomplish this, we purchase products from long-term, reliable and responsible partners and work with respected independent third parties to continuously improve our factory monitoring program.
Factory Monitoring
As our business and supply chain continues to grow we have taken great care to ensure our suppliers share our standards and operate in an ethical and responsible manner. By making social responsibility fundamental to our sourcing decisions, we ensure our suppliers take our Global Operating Principles (GOP) as seriously as we do.
Our factory monitoring program includes third-party verification, engagement with multi-stakeholder initiatives and providing factories with training and resources when opportunities for improvement are identified. Third-party verification of our Global Operating Principles is rigorous and further strengthened by the independent, random monitoring of certain factories by the Fair Labor Association (FLA).
Read our full Global Operating Principles (GOP) and Factory Compliance Benchmark.
Global Operating Principles (GOP)
Factory Compliance Benchmark (PDF)
For more information about SanMar’s compliance program, please email supplierinquiries@sanmar.com.
The Fair Labor Association
The Fair Labor Association is a collaborative effort of socially responsible companies, colleges and civil society organizations to improve working conditions in factories around the world.
In November of 2012, the FLA recognized SanMar for its dedication to the Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing Principles when it accredited our compliance program. In March 2023, SanMar’s Factory Monitoring program received re-accreditation from the FLA. The re-accreditation process reviewed our policies and oversight mechanisms over several years, representing the highest level of programmatic evaluation. We are proud to be one of only a small number of companies to hold this level of distinction.
Prathika Kurian was elected to the FLA Board of Directors in 2022, offering us a unique perspective on the experience of its members and a voice at the table in helping to guide the organization.
SanMar continues to be an active participant of the FLA today, demonstrating our commitment by:
- Upholding the FLA’s Code of Conduct and established systems to identify and remedy ethical violations.
- Working with the FLA to develop and improve social compliance systems that flag issues and lead to sustainable solutions when workers are at risk.
- Monitoring our supply chain partners to ensure they meet strict labor standards.
- Engaging with local CSOs and NGOs to address regional challenges.
For a complete list of the Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing Principles that guide our sourcing activities and the FLA’s Workplace Code of Conduct, please visit fairlabor.org.
“As members of the FLA, we are united in working towards a common goal. We have the opportunity to learn from others about what strategies are effective and what aren’t, and we can address issues collectively. We also have a voice in shaping the direction of the organization.”
Prathika Kurian
Senior Manager of Factory Compliance
Our Supply Chain Partners
We are grateful to be connected to so many inspiring communities, at home and around the world.
Responsible Purchasing Practices
We know that our purchasing decisions have a direct effect on working conditions, so we provide training to our product creation teams and seek to understand how our actions impact our suppliers.
In addition to this ongoing training, SanMar has been working with the Better Buying Initiative since 2019. Better Buying is a unique system that enables suppliers to communicate with their buyers and rate purchasing practices anonymously, providing clear, relevant, transparent and timely information and analysis about good purchasing practices.
In 2023, SanMar continued to publish our scorecard in an attempt to help drive meaningful change in the way apparel companies work with their vendors. We plan to continue our engagement with the Better Buying Institute in the coming year.
Sustainable Manufacturing
SanMar is proud to work with suppliers who invest in renewable energy, minimize water use, manage chemicals effectively and reduce waste in their operations.
While we know that much of apparel’s environmental impact results from the manufacture of raw materials and textiles, we also are seeing tremendous innovation and activity in the supply chain to address those issues. As we grow with our existing suppliers and seek out new partners to work with, we assess whether they are taking steps in these areas.
SanMar has been using the Higg facility tools since 2017 to assess suppliers for environmental compliance as part of our factory onboarding process. In addition, in 2022 we implemented a requirement for all facilities to use the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), allowing facilities to address their performance from ensuring environmental management systems are in place to investing in renewable energy.
SanMar’s Commitment to Fair Compensation
The United Nations and its International Labour Organization (ILO) have declared living wage a basic human right. SanMar is committed to ensuring that the people who make our products are treated with dignity and respect. Our commitment includes fair compensation, the principle that every worker has a right to compensation for a regular week that is sufficient to meet the worker’s basic needs and provide some discretionary income which, for example, can be used to pay for medical costs, towards education, and transportation. SanMar’s Global Operating Principles outline our standard and SanMar’s Factory Compliance Benchmarks provide details of our compensation and benefits requirements.
As a Living Wage Corporate Sponsor in support of the Anker Research Institute, SanMar shares a mission to advance knowledge to improve the living standards of working people and their families globally.
Learn more about SanMar’s commitment to fair compensation.
Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism
The Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) is a voluntary program in which importers partner with US Customs to strengthen supply chain security. SanMar is now a CTPAT Partner with a Tier III status. This status is reserved for CTPAT Partners that exceed the minimum-security criteria, have successfully completed a validation and operate using a pre-defined series of Best Practices that have overlapping, interlocking layers of defense that are actively monitored by management personnel.
Supply Chain Disclosure
At SanMar, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical sourcing and labor practices in compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, Canada’s Bill S-211, and other relevant legislation. This document outlines our commitment to compliance with both legislative frameworks and our dedication to identifying, preventing, and mitigating the risks associated with child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking in our operations and supply chains.
Through our comprehensive due diligence policies and processes, we strive to eradicate child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking from our operations and supply chains, contributing to a more sustainable and responsible global business environment. We aim to continuously improve our monitoring program to positively impact lives.
