Sustainability Q+A with KidWild

INTERVIEW WITH AAFKE EGGENS
FOUNDER, KIDWILD

WHAT IS THE KIDWILD ETHOS?

We love a world where kids can live pure, wild and free. Free of harmful toxins, dyes or pesticides. Full of earth-friendly and honest products, super soft materials and modern, timeless hues & prints.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED, IS YOUR WHOLE TEAM THERE?

We are located in Boulder, Colorado, at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

WHERE ARE THE COLLECTIONS PRODUCED?

Our collections are produced at GOTS certified facilities in India, Turkey and Portugal.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR MANUFACTURERS ARE MEETING BEST ETHICAL PRACTICES? DO THEY HAVE ANY CERTIFICATION?ARE YOU ABLE TO CLOSELY MONITOR YOUR PRODUCTION?

We only work with GOTS certified suppliers to ensure our products meet all criteria and all resources and people in the process are treated fairly.

WHAT KIND OF FABRICS DO YOU MOST USE? ARE YOUR FABRICS GOTS ORGANIC OR OEKO-TEX CERTIFIED?

We love working with GOTS certified organic brushed jerseys for their softness and forgiveness (usually we add a small percentage of elastane for easier dressing!). We have used 100% GOTS certified organic muslin and terry fabrics, both very breathable fabrics and great for warmer temperatures. All our fabrics are GOTS or Oeko-Tex certified as this is a standard we have set for our brand.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT HOW YOUR FABRICS ARE DYED?

We use water based AZO free dyes that can be broken down after the dyeing process and are much safer and gentler for the environment and for people.

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE FABRICS YOU USE AND WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

We visit our suppliers on a yearly basis as well as the bigger fabric shows. Our manufacturer in Portugal sources fabrics from Portuguese and Turkish GOTS certified organic mills. Our India supplier sources their fabrics from local mills as India has a very large (organic) cotton supply.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR OVERSTOCK OF MATERIALS AND FABRIC SCRAPS?

We aim to only produce what we use. Very seldom we have excess stock which we will use in consecutive collections or develop a product that uses the scrap material (such as the baby booties) to minimize waste.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PACKAGING FOR SHIPMENTS TO CUSTOMERS?

We used recycled plastic for the individual product packaging but made the switch to oxo biodegradable plastic bags. All our other materials are either recycled or recyclable.

DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING ELSE WITH OUR READERS ON YOUR EFFORTS IN SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICAL PRACTICES?

We thoroughly embrace the slow fashion movement. By producing high quality, long lasting and timeless garments our products can be worn and loved from one child to the next and carried on from generation to generation thereby increasing its life span and minimizing its carbon footprint.