SUSTAINABILITY

two people walking on a beach with surfboards

At KAVU we have a clear spirit to protect the planet and do everything we can as a company to reduce the negative and increase the positive. That means community, socially and environmental.

Now more than ever we are making a strong commitment to reduce, reuse and protect mother nature from more harm, so we can keep playing outside. Starting in 2013 we have been working hard behind the scenes implementing sustainable process in all our sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, office culture, warehousing and distribution.

We first started with our KAVU employees. We looked at how we could reduce, reuse and recycle within our office and retail stores. Beginning 2012-2014 our office went fully digital and only printing paper when necessary. We try to only send digital invoices, order confirmations and other reports. All our documents are scanned and saved digitally for safe record keeping.

Another huge part is working with our sourcing partners to improve our overall footprint. Our partners and vendors from around the world are cooperating and helping us achieve our goals. It is great to trace back all our processes and suppliers from thread, dye, weaver to the finished garment coming off the production line.

a group of people standing in a rocky area

environmental partners

We hold ourselves accountable and by using multiple standards and certifications we can ensure our impact can be more positive than negative. KAVU is committed to making our products under the strict global sustainability guidelines used by Oeko Tex, GOTS, REACH and or Bluesign. Our production team and executives work hard to guarantee that our supply chain is following and or adapting to the changing world standards. We visit the factories and work backwards to insure our fibers, threads, weaving, dying and finishing are all compliant with the above standards.

REPREVE

REPREVE® keeps bottles out of our landﬁlls and oceans, conserves electricity and water and reduces greenhouse emissions and petroleum use. The world's leading brands choose REPREVE® to drive product innovation by combining uncompromised performance with trusted sustainability.

Global Organic Textile Standard

The Global Organic Textile: standard is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. The standard covers the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling of organic fibers. If a fiber is certified GOTS means that it has been tracked from planting, growing, harvesting, dying and weaving of the fabric. All of the processes are approved sustainable and credible by GOTS.

Textile Exchange

A non-profit group that works to expand textile sustainability.

American Apparel & Footwear Association

Representing more than 1,000 world famous brands, the AAFA is a trusted public policy and political voice for the apparel and footwear industry, its management and nearly four million US workers. Restricted Substances list is intended to provide apparel companies with information related to regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals or substances in finished products. We comply and test to make sure none of our products are produced with any of the RSL chemicals.

OIA Sustainability Working Group

OIA Sustainability Working Group (SWG) sharing best sustainability practices, developing better products, and driving meaningful change.

BLUESIGN

The bluesign® system is the solution for a sustainable textile production. It eliminates harmful substances right from the beginning of the manufacturing process and sets and controls standards for an environmentally friendly and safe production. This not only ensures that the final textile product meets very stringent consumer safety requirements worldwide but also provides confidence to the consumer to acquire a sustainable product. 95% of KAVU buckles used are Bluesign certified

OEKO-TEX

The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is a worldwide consistent, independent testing and certification system for raw, semi-finished, and finished textile products at all processing levels, as well as accessory materials used. KAVU is working hard to have all of our raw and dyed/finished yarns, woven and knitted fabrics, accessories, such as buttons, zip fasteners, sewing threads or labels, to be certified Oeko Tex.

REACH

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals: is a European Union regulation dating back to 2006. REACH address the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on the both human and the environment.

Outdoor Industry Association

We work with OIA on managing chemicals, the traceability of materials, and worker well-being. KAVU is also a member of the OIA Sustainability. It is a member based working group collaborate to drive collective action and solutions that address shared global supply chain challenges and inspire industries around the world.

Intertek

We use an intertek to insure and certify that our fabrics and raw materials are compliant with world chemical standards. Intertek helps to ensure that our products meet quality, health, environmental, safety, and social accountability standards.

packaging + fabrics

Product packaging: we are making a worldwide change for our products to be packaged in Oxo-biodegradable and compostable product bags. We will begin using these bags Fall 2019 with full implementation for all our products by 2020. Oxo-biodegradable plastic, is often referred to as “degradable” plastic. These bags do not require a biological process to degrade. By changing to these biodegradable compostable bags, we will keep over 500,000 plastic bags out of landfills.

Hang tag attachments: we are using recycled fibers instead of plastic attachments where we can.

Recycled paper: we feel we can make a major impact on using recycled paper wherever we can. We have made a worldwide switch to only using recycled paper on all our product hang tags and marketing material for 2020. We feel this is responsible conservation by not using virgin paper.

Tencel Lyocell and Modal fibers: originate from renewable raw material wood, created by photosynthesis. The certified bio-based fibers are manufactured using an environmentally responsible production process. The fibers are certified as compostable and biodegradable.