We are committed to doing everything within our power to help eliminate unnecessary waste from the process of producing home textile products. 

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The ready-made curtain industry leads to a huge amount of textile waste in countries all over the world.  We seek to help bring an end to that unnecessary waste by doing three things: 

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1. Buying our fabric by the yard and not cutting it until we receive your order.  By not warehousing millions of individual units, we are cutting down on textile waste, freight, and storage facility fees while delivering you the exact length & styling options you need. 

2. Maximizing the width of our woven goods by providing you with “fixed-width” items.  The reason you can only customize the length is because many other widths would be wasteful.  If you find yourself needing a different width, we are happy to work with you to find a solution that fits both your needs and our standards. 

3. Doing everything we can to keep our packaging minimal.  We include a biodegradable bag that is printed with vegetable-based inks.  The reason we include this bag is to protect your order from weather-related issues.   We strongly encourage reusing this bag whenever possible.  All of our paper products are fully recyclable, and our branded materials are printed on recycled paper products.  You can check each individual item for the % breakdown of post-consumer waste, where applicable. 

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These are some things we will never do: 

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1. Market you an item as recycled just for the sake of marketing.  Truth be told, we would like to be able to offer you more recycled products, but it just isn’t possible for us without adding to our carbon footprint at this time.  And that seems counterproductive to a sustainability initiative.  One day, when we have the capacity to make a shift, we will happily let you know. 

2. Not take ownership when we are wrong.  The textile industry is always changing but we do our best to provide you with the best information we have available to us at the time we are writing.  Should you see something you’d like more clarity on, you can email us at info@thedrape.com. 

 

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Our Factory 

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We have partnered with a factory in China that has a few certifications of note, but the most important to us was their SMETA 4-pillar certification and ISO9001.  By partnering with them, we are able to deliver you quality products at accessible price points while simultaneously ensuring our factory is providing their employees with safe, hazard-free work environments, equitable wages, and fair, affordable housing.   

 

What are the Four Pillars of SMETA? 

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1. Labor Standards 

2. Environment 

3. Health & Safety 

4. Business Ethics 

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What is SMETA by SEDEX? 

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SEDEX is a non-profit membership organization, which comprises over 50,000 members, multi-sector, in around 150 countries. To become a SEDEX certified organization, a company must undertake a series of audits and implement the recommendations made by the auditors; the results of these audits are published on the SEDEX online platform and ethical audit reports are shared with customers. Such practice boosts the image of the company not just among competitors, but also among clients. 

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SMETA defined 

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The SEDEX Member Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) was developed by SEDEX to regulate social audit codes and monitoring procedures; to easily expedite auditing procedures across the supply chain by sharing reports, labor standards, and improvement solutions. 

When companies successfully become SMETA compliant, they are entered into the SEDEX online database where they can easily network with other suppliers and prospective clients and increase their visibility in new markets across the globe. 

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What is SMETA based on? 

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The globally accepted SMETA methodology was conceptualized to implement consistent improvement processes and to converge social audit monitoring and standard practices within supply chains. It is primarily based on business ethics, health and safety, environment, and best labor practices, the four pillars of SEDEX. 

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With SMETA, companies can effectively map and manage the best commercial practices across each tier of their supply chain and be informed about the risks, which may harm the chain and overall business. 

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The audit is based on 2-pillar and 4-pillar parameters. While the 2-pillar audits are based on standards prescribed by the Ethical Training Initiative (ETI code), the 4-pillar audit adds comprehensive environmental management standards, including best business practices. The audit also follows the ethical standards mandated by the SA8000, ISO14001 among other industry-specific codes. 

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Why do global organizations utilize SMETA? 

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Owing to the vastness and complex challenges of modern supply chains, global companies are utilizing the SMETA format, because they believe it is a solution to improve the performances and sustainability of these chains. The SMETA solution is a collaborative effort towards achieving common goals as a result of implementing shared standards. 

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How does SMETA become a part of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) of a company? 

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From a corporate social responsibility perspective, companies aim to consistently improve the transparency of their supply chain. They develop a transparent social auditing system of all tiers of the chain, which will enable them to achieve insight, thus creating value throughout the supply chain. With a SEDEX audit, companies can support local communities by promoting sustainable living practices. 

When SMETA becomes a part of CSR, companies are motivated to focus on improving the entire supply chain, based on the four pillars of SMETA: Labor standards, Environment, Health and Safety, and Business integrity. Using SMETA’s tools and resources, companies achieve these goals, which result in responsible corporate practices and meeting CSR goals. 

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About ISO 

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ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 162+ national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. ISO has published more than 21000* International Standards and related documents covering almost every industry, from technology to food safety, to agriculture and healthcare. For more information, please visit www.iso.org.