Back in the early days of CAC, we were about selling as many T-shirts as possible to raise as much money as we could to fight cancer. That’s still our primary aim.
But as time has gone on, we’ve also started to look more carefully at WHAT we’re selling in terms of our impact on the planet, in the widest possible sense.
This is why we decided to move over to a new supplier, and to introduce organic products. We continue to sell existing stock of classic T shirts, but any replacement or new textile products will be organic wherever possible. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) credentials of the new company were also something that we took care to examine. So while for some of you the ‘made in Bangladesh’ label might ring alarm bells, please read on.
The company is a member of a number of environmentally-conscious organisations :
Fair Wear Foundation (since 2012)
Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) is an independent organisation that works with apparel brands, garment workers and textile industry stakeholders to improve labour conditions in garment factories. The company asks FWF to organise third-party audits to assess human rights risks and monitor remediation progress in factories.
CAC’s organic T shirts, organic crew-neck sweatshirts and organic fisherman beanies are all Fair Wear certified products.
Textile Exchange (since 2012)
Textile Exchange is a global non-profit organisation that works closely with its members to drive industry transformation in preferred fibres, integrity and standards, and responsible supply networks.
Remei
Founded in 1983, Swiss-based Remei Group works directly with smallholder farmers in India and Tanzania to offer traceable organic cotton as the first step of a sustainable textile value chain from fibre to ready-made textiles. Their mission is to create value for all those along the value chain, while taking maximum care of people and the environment. Through Remei’s local subsidiaries, organic cotton farmers receive a purchase guarantee for their raw materials, are paid an additional premium above the local market price, and benefit from ongoing support and comprehensive extension services on organic cultivation. The company sources some of its organic cotton from Remei.
Drip by Drip
Drip by Drip is a non-profit organisation founded in January 2018 that focuses on addressing water issues caused by the fashion and textile industry. In Bangladesh, Drip by Drip partners with Agroho, a local organisation that identifies needs, and suggests, implements, and monitors projects on the ground. Our supplier started a collaboration with Drip by Drip in 2023 to provide free medical consultations in the villages where workers from its partner factories live. These communities would otherwise have limited access to healthcare facilities.
Removall
Removall is a project developer specialised in designing and operating certified carbon offset projects. In 2024, the company started collaborating with Removall as a trusted partner for carbon offset initiatives. Carbon credits are certified by independent third parties, and are ‘ex-post’, meaning that the credits represent carbon savings that have already been realised, rather than promised or expected.
The company’s supply chain is certified by various independent bodies according to the most stringent standards.
GOTS : The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the leading worldwide standard for organic cotton. Based on both environmental and social criteria, it guarantees that cotton is organically grown without the use of genetically modified seeds or hazardous chemicals. It also ensures traceability from post-harvesting of the raw material to the final customer, including transaction certificates at every stage of production.
CAC’s organic T shirts, organic crew-neck sweatshirts and organic fisherman beanies are all GOTS-certified products.
GRS : The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is the world’s leading standard for recycled textiles. The standard applies to the full supply chain and addresses traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content, and labelling. All the recycled cotton, recycled polyester, and recycled nylon used in CAC’s organic T shirts and organic Sweatshirts (heather colourways) is GRS certified.
OEKO-TEX® : Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® is one of the world’s best-known standards for assessing harmful substances in fabrics. Certification confirms that products contain no chemical substances that are harmful to human health and the environment, and guarantees that they comply with the EU REACH regulation. Standard 100 also prohibits certain potentially harmful substances even where these are not yet legally banned. CAC’s organic T shirts, organic crew-neck sweatshirts and organic fisherman beanies are all OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified.
PETA : The company is PETA-approved, which means that it does not conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients, formulations, or finished products and pledges never to do so. CAC’s organic T shirts, organic crew-neck sweatshirts and organic fisherman beanies are all made from 100% vegan materials with no ingredients of animal origin, ensuring that no harm is caused to animals.
Here are a few extracts from the company’s sustainability report :
Products
“We aim to create best-in-class products… while always upholding the highest environmental and
social standards. Across our ranges … we use exclusively organic and recycled materials.”
Responsible product development
“As we serve a B2B audience, our main collection is relatively stable, with timeless products and colours
that often remain available for several years. To keep our offering fresh, we release a spring/summer and an
autumn/winter collection each year. These collections, featuring new or updated styles and introducing a palette of trend-inspired colours, are developed around 1.5 to 2 years in advance and produced in full alignment with our suppliers. This long-term planning ensures realistic deadlines and maintains our focus on quality and sustainability.”
Sustainable design practices
“Our dedication to innovation drives us to continually seek ways to reduce the environmental impact of our products, including working towards a more circular mindset. In 2024, we transitioned … our sweatshirt styles … from an 85% organic cotton/15% recycled polyester blend to a new 100% organic cotton fabric, meaning they can be more easily recycled at end-of-life. We also continue to explore alternative fabrics, fibres and dyeing methods that meet both our customers’ needs and our environmental and social standards.”
CSR
“Like most global fashion brands, we do not own the mills, factories, and production facilities that
make our fabrics and garments. Yet we see it as our responsibility to ensure workers in our supply chain have good working conditions and fair pay.
Our strategy has always focused on working with a limited number of suppliers and developing strong,
long-term relationships so we can make responsible procurement a reality.
From the outset, we established robust policies outlining our commitments to human rights and environmental due diligence, making clear the standards we expect our suppliers to adhere to.
In 2023, we significantly enhanced our internal tools and processes. Guided by the OECD due diligence
framework, we standardised our data collection methods to align with industry standards. This led us to the development of a robust Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) policy.”
All of CAC’s organic range is woven, dyed and assembled in Bangladesh.
Unisex organic T shirt
Unisex organic multilingual T shirt
Unisex organic sweatshirts
Organic fisherman’s beanies
