Corporate Responsibility

Ethical Products and Materials

Ensuring that the goods we sell are manufactured in conditions that meet our standards of ethical sourcing is only one part of ethical trading. We also need to ensure that the materials and components used in manufacture and the goods themselves meet similar standards. This is not just about preventing the use of harmful or unethical materials, it is also a driver of using of materials and products which actively promote ethical behaviour

Good Origin Coffee

Each year our 160 restaurants and cafés serve around 8 million cups of coffee. Since 2007 every cup has been made from Douwe Egberts Good Origin Coffee and can be traced back to the farm where it was grown. Good Origin Coffee is certified by Utz Kapeh, a non-governmental organisation which assists farmers in protecting their workers and the environment in which they live and work and provides assurance that coffee beans are derived from 100% sustainable sources.

Fairtrade Cotton

Fairtrade seeks to ensure that the farmers and their workers who produce items are treated fairly. It promotes direct trade at a fair price, fair labour conditions, environmental sustainability and community development.

Fairtrade cotton is used in a number of clothing ranges. In 2007, it was introduced into lingerie ranges. In February 2008, our menswear brand Maine New England teamed up with Sir Steve Redgrave’s clothing brand FiveG to produce an exclusive menswear collection made from Fairtrade certified cotton.

In womenswear, exclusively designed Fairtrade organic printed T-shirts from People Tree will be available from Red Herring departments from May 2008. People Tree is a Fairtrade company which aims to use fashion to help the world’s most marginalised people; for more information go to www.peopletree.co.uk. At the same time a selection of Fairtrade jersey and sweat garments will be introduced into women’s Maine.

Uzbek Cotton

The use of Uzbekistan origin cotton has become a particular concern due to widespread labour abuses in that country, including the use of forced child labour during the harvesting of the cotton crop. Also of concern is the continuing environmental disaster unfolding in the region of the Aral Sea.

Uzbekistan has been on Debenhams’ banned country list since 2006 and this covers both product manufacturing and all components and raw materials.

The best place to capture cotton country of origin is at the spinner and in some cases the mill. To this end, we require all our suppliers to support us in identifying the cotton country of origin and ensuring that future production does not contravene our policy.