Get To Know Our New Denim, Etica

Meet our new brand, Etica Denim, translated from Spanish to English as “Ethical Denim”. Etica is based in Los Angeles, California but is rooted in Puebla, Mexico where their mission statement of committing to the ideals of fair labor and environmentally conscious manufacturing and social responsibility holds true. They highlight their transparency and fair labor laws, a commitment to their community, as well as sustainable practices in the sourcing and producing of their products proudly on their website for you to learn more about.

Etica places corporate responsibility as an integral process of their production and executes these ideals through a family-owned and operated factory, Hera Apparel based in Puebla, Mexico. As a family-owned factory, Etica is committed to exceeding Fair Labor standards by providing their workers with living wages, health benefits, and free meals while providing safe, ability-inclusive employment. To further prove their commitment to fair labor, they strive for and have achieved certifications from governments and coalitions around the world such as; 

• Re/Make Seal of Approval for Environment, Transparency, Labor Rights
• Gold Certification from the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Coalition (W.R.A.P.)
• SMETA auditing and certification from SEDEX, a leader in ethical production and supply chain transparency
• Clean Industry Practices certificate from PROFEPA and the Mexican government’s national environmental audit program, PNAA
• Social Responsibility certificate from the Mexican Center for Philanthropy and the Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility

Puebla, located at the base of Mount Popocatepetl, is rich with a long history and beautiful landscapes that Etica is proud to be a part of. Within the community, they have built a water purification system designed to recycle and clean their factory water in order to feed the local farmland throughout their region. Since the implementation of this system, Etica has added several upgraders such as a community garden and a tilapia farm located near the factory. In their mission, they state their dedication to use everything and waste nothing, thereby compressing wash stones into bricks that can serve as a purpose for low-income housing in their area as well as using 100% recycled material for their packaging and hang tags produced with soy-based ink on 100% recycled paper, and plantable seed paper.

The sustainable sourcing of materials to use in the production of Etica denim follows a vegan routine of carefully selecting suppliers based on their commitment to sustainability, labor practices, and the quality of fabrics that they produce. Liquid indigo instead of powder, alternative fibers like Tencel and Refibra, and the utilization of second-life sources, such as deadstock, are some alternatives used in Etica denim that is ethically and sustainably sourced to produce the most beautiful, comfortable line.

In partnership with Jeanologia, the world leader in sustainable eco-tech equipment, Etica now uses E-Flow technology which converts water into water vapor to wash their denim resulting in saving over a thousand gallons of water each year. Etica also partners with ASUTEX to use Bluesign exclusively, a certified low impact chemical in their wash house, including plants and mineral-derived dyes and softeners, as well as lightning agents to avoid the harsh chemicals usually used in denim production.